An authentic Mangalorean snack, kulkul is small deep fried pastry generally made during Christmas. Traditionally kal kals are made with eggs, but here’s an eggless version that tastes just as good!
Plum cakes and mashed potatoes are a Christmas staple, but try adding Kulkul to your Christmas menu this year. Also locally known as kuswar or kidiyo, kulkuls are deep fried, bite-sized pastry that are crunchy on the outside and flaky on the inside.
The most complicated part about this kal kal recipe is the shaping. But I have broken the process into simple steps as well as shown the entire process on video to help you nail this Anglo Indian kulkul recipe in no time!
Making kulkul is definitely a labor of love. But the results are so satisfying and addictive, I promise you won’t mind the effort.
Kulkul Ingredients Overview
All the ingredients you need to make kulkul are just pantry staples. We start by soaking sooji in melted (but not hot) butter for about 5 minutes until the sooji increases in size slightly.
Then mix together the sooji and butter mixture, all purpose flour, powdered sugar, and salt before adding coconut milk little by little to form a stiff dough.
Lastly, we shape the dough into kal kals and deep fry them in coconut oil until crispy and golden brown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Technically you can, but I would not recommend it as that will change the texture and flavor of this dessert.
Kal kal can easily last up to a few weeks on the countertop if stored in an airtight container.
Absolutely! A lot of people use regular milk in their Christmas kuswar, but my MIL originally makes it this way and I love the subtle flavour it adds.
Richa’s Top Tips
- I have used Bombay suji for this recipe, but you can use whatever you have available. Both thick and thin sooji will work for this recipe
- Soaking sooji in butter is an important step to help develop flavors for delicious kulkuls and for the sooji to not feel raw
- These kal kals are not too sweet, but you can adjust the amount of sugar to suit your preference
- Sift your APF before making dough to make sure your kal kals have an even texture
- Adding sooji helps the kal kal texture become crispier
Serve as is or dust some powdered sugar and eat it with a cup of chai for a fun and delicious Christmas snack. I would recommend making a big batch of this kal kal recipe as these are super addictive and disappear quickly!
If you enjoyed this recipe, then do check out other Mangalorean delicacies from my Coast to Coast to series.
And if you try this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment and as usual send pictures of your recreations over on my IG @myfoodstory. It’s also SO good hearing from and talking to you guys ❤️
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Soak sooji in melted butter for 5 minutes.
⅛ cup sooji, 1 tablespoon butter
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Add rest of the ingredients except for coconut milk & combine them well.
¾ cup maida, 3 tablespoons sugar powder, ½ pinch of salt
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Add coconut milk little by little to make a hard dough. Scoop out about ½ a teaspoon full of dough & form it into a dough ball. Keep it covered with a cloth to avoid the dough getting dry.
2 tablespoons coconut milk
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Heat coconut oil for deep frying in a kadai till it’s just medium hot.
½ litre coconut oil for deep frying
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Make about 20 kal kal shapes from the dough balls, add it to the kadai & deep fry them on low heat till they are light golden. Keep stirring so that the kal kals get evenly fried. It’s important to fry them on very low heat to get them fried from inside.
- kal kals must be cooked on low heat so that they get fried uniformly from inside & out.
Calories: 136kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Sodium: 34mg, Potassium: 36mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 0.1g, Vitamin A: 87IU, Calcium: 5mg, Iron: 1mg
