Gulgula is a sweet fritter or drop donut made with crushed bananas fried to crispy golden brown perfection. Make them the traditional way or you can make them gluten, dairy, and sugar-free!
Guyanese Gulgula
Guyanese Gulgula (gulagula) is a banana fritter typically made during Hindu Holidays. As a child in Guyana, I ate so many of these (and Parsad) on Phagwah or Diwali. My late grandmother Evelyn made these and like most things she made, they were amazing.
The last time I ate these at home I was a teenager. My mom didn’t have a recipe for the ones my grandmother made so I had to call around to get a good recipe. Thank you Seeta and Babita for sharing your recipe with me!
Why You’ll Love This Gulgula Recipe
- Comfort Snack: Made with warm spices, this deep fried snack has a crispy coating and an airy, fluffy, sweet center.
- Crowd Pleaser: The crispy, golden-brown exterior and soft, sweet interior make gulagula a popular treat for kids and adults alike. Their small round form makes them easy to grab on the go.
- Versatile: There are so many ways to customize gulgula. Make them with or without sugar; try them gluten-free or without dairy. Some people make them without raisins but the raisins are my favorite part!
Gulgula Ingredients
Make this easy gulgula recipe with pantry staples.
- Brown Sugar: For sweetness.
- Warm Water: Warm milk is needed to activate the yeast in this recipe. Please don’t skip it. It should be about 110°F.
- Dry Active Yeast: This gives gulgula their airy and light texture.
- Ripe Bananas: These bananas are super sweet and are easy to mash. This makes the fritter super soft and fluffy.
- Warm Evaporated Milk: May use regular whole milk
- Vanilla Extract: This enhances the overall flavor for a better tasting dessert.
- All Purpose Flour: This is essential for the structure.
- Spices: Ground cinnamon and ground cloves add a delicious cozy flavor.
- Salt: This makes the other flavors pop.
- Raisins: Rinsed and soaked
- Oil: Use an oil that’s suitable for frying.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Gulgula
Prepare Gulgula Batter
Start with a really ripe banana and crush it with a fork. Then add sugar, spices, and warm milk.
Next, add the flour, yeast, and salt. Mix everything together in order to form a thick pancake-like batter, finishing it off with the soaked raisins. The batter needs some time to rest to allow the yeast to do its thing. Use rapid rising yeast and let it rest for 30 minutes before frying up these beauties.
Drop the Batter
Traditionally when cooking gulgula, you drop it into the oil by filling your hands with palmfuls of the batter and then squeezing small portions through the opening between your thumb and forefingers. Not only is this messy but it can also be dangerous. The best way to drop gulgula is by using a cookie scoop like this one here. This makes it really easy to scoop and drop the batter for frying. Alternatively, use a spoon to spoon the batter into the hot oil.
Fry Gulgulas
Gulgula, like most fritters and donuts, requires a deep fry. I love to test one gulgula to ensure the oil temperature is just right and it cooks all the way through before adding a batch. The ideal temperature for frying gulgulas is 300°F – 325°F but if you don’t have a thermometer just keep the oil on medium heat and that should be good.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Tips for the Best Gulgula
- Ensure that you have enough oil to fill your pot above the halfway line. Otherwise, your gulgula will not have enough room and will be flat instead of that beautiful round shape they are known for.
- Keep turning the fritters as they cook so they brown evenly.
- Taste test. Make one fritter to ensure the flavor and texture is perfect. If not, adjust the batter before frying the rest.
- Do not fry over high heat. If they brown too quickly, they will be burnt on the outside and undercooked at the center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Make gulgula using sugar, water, yeast, ripe bananas, evaporated milk, flour, spices, salt, soaked raisins, vanilla extract, and oil for frying.
First, dissolve 1 tablespoon of sugar in warm water and add the yeast, allowing it to rest in a warm place until it blooms and rises. In a separate bowl, crush bananas until smooth, then mix in bloomed yeast, sugar, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract. Combine the wet ingredients with sifted flour, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt, forming a soft batter; let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in size. When you’re ready to cook, drop small dough balls into 300°F oil, frying for about 3 minutes until dark brown. Drain the banana fritters on paper towels and allow to cool before serving.
“Gulgule,” is another term for “gulgula.” The popular deep-fried snack is commonly prepared during festivals, special occasions, and religious ceremonies in India.
Guyanese Gulgula
Equipment
- Saucepan
- 2 Mixing Bowls
- Cookie Scoop
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar Divided
- 1/4 cup Warm Water About 110 °F
- 1 tbsp Dry Active Yeast
- 3 Ripe Bananas
- 1/2 Cup Warm Evaporate Milk May use regular whole milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3 1/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 Cup Raisins Rinsed and soaked
- 4-6 Cups Oil suitable for frying
Instructions
- Dissolve 1 tablespoon of sugar in warm water, then add the yeast. Mix together, cover and let rest in a warm place until the yeast blooms and gets at least a 1 inch frothy rise (head)
- While the yeast is blooming, add the bananas to a bowl that is large enough for the dough to double in size. Then crush the bananas with a fork until there are no big chunks remaining
- Next add the bloomed yeast, sugar, evaporated milk and vanilla extract to the crushed bananas. Mix together well and set aside
- In a separate bowl, sift the flour, ground cinnamon, ground cloves and salt together. Then Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together to form a soft batter. Cover and let rest in a warm place for at least an hour or until the dough doubles in size
Cooking the Gulgula
- When ready to cook, add oil to a saucepan deep enough to have 3 inches of oil and bring up to temperature on medium heat. If you have a rapid read thermometer, the oil should be about 300 °F. If using a large dutch oven, you may need more than 6 cups of oil
- Using a cookie scoop, or two spoons drop small balls of dough into the hot oil. Dough will sink to the bottom of the pot and then float to the top a few seconds later. Fry gulgula in two or more batches so as to not over crowd the saucepan and decrease the temperature of the oil
- Fry for about 3 minutes. Turn the gulgula once or twice for even cooking and browning. When gulgula is dark brown all over, remove from the heat and let rest on a few paper towel sheets. Allow to cool before serving.
Notes
- Keeping your oil better 300 °F and 325 °F will allow the dough to cook all the way through. If the oil is colder than this the gulgula may be soggy and oily.
- It should take about 3 minutes total to fry each batch. If the dough becomes dark brown before 3 minutes is up, then your oil is too hot and the gulgula may not cook all the way through.
- If the dough balls don’t rise to the top a few seconds after dropping, use a spatula to gently free them from the bottom of the pan or they will burn on one side.
Nutrition
The information listed in the recipe card is an estimate provided by an online nutrition tool. The tool evaluates ingredient names and amounts then makes calculations based on the number of servings listed for the recipe. It is provided as a general guideline and not as a precise calculation. For precise nutrition information please feel free to add the ingredients to your preferred nutrition calculator or consult a doctor or licensed nutritionist.
The Gluten Free / Dairy Free and Refined Sugar Free Recipe:
Gluten Free Gulgula
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Saucepan
- Cookie Scoop
Ingredients
- 1 ripe banana
- 2 tablespoons of coconut sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- Pinch of ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup of warm coconut milk
- 1 cup of All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
- 1 teaspoon of rapid rising yeast
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup of rinsed and soaked raisins raisins soaked in water to soften. Water is discarded and not added to the batter
- 4 cups of oil suitable for frying
Instructions
- Add banana to a mixing bowl and crush with a fork until smooth
- Then add sugar, ground cinnamon, ground cloves and vanilla extract and mix together well
- Next add the warm milk and combine
- Then add flour, yeast, salt and mix together to form a thick batter
- Next add the soaked raisins, mix well, cover and let rest for 30 minutes
- Then add oil to a pot suitable for deep frying and bring up to temperature on medium heat (around 350 °F)
- Next drop batter into oil using a dinner spoon or a cookie scoop
- Fry until deep brown in color, turning often to prevent burning
- Remove from the oil and drain on some paper towel, then let cool before serving
Notes
- This recipe makes about 20 average-sized gulgula.
- The recipe can be easily doubled for large batches.
- I fry these in two batches and try not to overcrowd the pot.
Nutrition
The information listed in the recipe card is an estimate provided by an online nutrition tool. The tool evaluates ingredient names and amounts then makes calculations based on the number of servings listed for the recipe. It is provided as a general guideline and not as a precise calculation. For precise nutrition information please feel free to add the ingredients to your preferred nutrition calculator or consult a doctor or licensed nutritionist.
Bacon Egg Bites (Whole30)
Fish Choka
Sago Porridge
Easy Cornmeal Porridge
Lehana Says
Deliciousness !!! Happy birthday ????