The first time I saw festivals was during the very popular Caribana festival in Toronto the year my family and I moved into Canada which was back in 2018. It is that type of pastry you sincerely want to try as soon as you see it. I am guessing this effect owes more to its beautiful golden colour. Its texture is pretty close to Nigerian buns or dumplings.
I have been journeying through the Caribbean islands with my recipes and each time, I find delicious recipes that are easy and so full of flavour. If you don’t believe me, it means you are yet to try out my recipe for Haitian Diri Djon Djon or the Jamaican spiced bun.
What are Jamaican Festivals?
These are deep-fried dough balls made up of cornmeal, flour, butter, sugar, vanilla extract and all-spice. It is crisp on the outside but soft on the inside. Jamaicans usually pair festivals with popular dishes such as the ackee and saltfish or jerk chicken. The sweetness of your festivals will depend on your preference. I simply had mine warm with some hot cocoa.
Other Fried Dough Recipes to try!
Ingredients needed to make Festivals?
Cornmeal
Cornmeal is easy to find, it is however important to buy a brand that is trusted with quality.
Unsalted Butter
It is best that your unsalted butter is brought to room temperature as that will make the mixing process easier.
Self-raising Flour
I used self-raising flour, hence no raising agent or salt was needed. In the absence of this, regular all-purpose flour can be used, however you will need to add baking powder and salt.
Sugar
You can use a pinch of regular table salt and granulated sugar for this recipe.
All-Spice
This adds a nice hint of spiciness to the festivals. Some recipes call for nutmeg, this can be added if preferred.
Vanilla Extract
A dash of vanilla extract makes all the difference.
Vegetable oil
The type of oil used does not matter too much, it is more the quantity as the festivals require deep-frying.
Other Caribbean Recipes for You!
The Process
1st is to combine all the ingredients, dry ones first before adding in the wet ingredients.
2nd is to knead the dough until it all comes together, cover and let it sit for 45 mins – 1 hour.
3rd is to then divide the dough into equal parts of 8 or 10. Take each ball and roll in the middle of both palms until you end up with two pointy ends like the picture above.
4th is to heat up oil for deep frying, when at least 350F hot, begin to drop in the festivals and fry on all sides till golden brown and crisp.
Finally, transfer to a sheet lined with paper towel so the excess oil can be absorbed.
Jamaican Festivals Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cups self-raising flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp all-spice
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup cold water
- vegetable oil for deep-frying
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, sift in the self-raising flour, cornmeal, sugar and all-spice, mix until well combined.
- Add in the butter and incorporate until the consistency is grainy.
- In a cup, mix together the water and vanilla extract, begin adding it into the dry ingredients until the dough forms into a slightly sticky dough. Cover and let sit for 45 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 8-10 equal parts. Flour a surface and roll each dough in a cylindrical fashion until you have two pointed ends. Repeat this process for all the dough portions.
- Heat up your oil to 350℉ in a deep large pot or pan, begin to drop in the festivals, it is fine to fry in 2 batches so the oil is not overcrowded. Let it fry on medium to low heat on all sides until golden brown and crisp.
- Transfer to a sheet lined with paper towels to drain off any excess grease.
Notes
- Sifting the dry ingredients helps to get rid of any possible lumpiness or coarseness that may develop in the dough, it is best not to skip this step.
- It is important to add in the water in bits until the dough becomes shaggy. Putting too much water can result in overly soft and non-pliable dough. If the water is too little, this can cause hard dough, a good balance is needed.
- When frying, the temperature of the oil should not be too hot, if so, you may end up with burned festivals that are not cooked through properly.
