Celebrate the start of spring with Jamaican Festival, a slightly sweet cornmeal dumpling that will have you singing and dancing for joy this season.
I know many of us are staying indoors in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the beginning of spring!
In Jamaica, spring means the start of lots of concerts, carnivals, and so much more. It’s a time for people to come together and hang out. Obviously, spring will look very different this year as Jamaica has also been affected by the coronavirus. The country recently reported its first death from the virus, and will likely encourage citizens to practice social distancing in order to limit the spread.
But we can still celebrate spring through food! If you’re like me, certain foods carry particular memories. When I eat Jamaican festival, I think about fried escovitch fish, which is a fried fish topped with pickled carrots and onions. To me, that combination of fish and festival takes be back to some of the happiest moments of my childhood. And we need some happy right now!
The recipe…
This Jamaican festival recipe is the definition of “comfort food” and it’s made using pantry staples like flour, cornmeal, sugar, and water. So there’s no excuse not to give these a try.
Jamaican festival get its unique flavor and texture from coarse cornmeal, which helps distinguish festivals from regular fried dumplings. The cornmeal can also make the batter look a bit lumpy, but that is normal.
Another distinguishing feature is the shape of the festivals. They are usually long and pointed at the ends.
Share this recipe…
If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know by rating it and leaving a comment below. I would love to hear from you. And don’t forget to tag #sweetandsorrel on Instagram!
Jamaican Festival
Ingredients
- 1 cup AP flour
- 2/3 cup fine cornmeal
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup cold water or milk
- 2 tbsp cooking oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Slowly pour in milk or water and use your hands to combine. Add vanilla extract and begin to knead the dough and shape it until it forms a smooth ball. Divide the dough into 8-10 pieces and shape into long conical dumplings.
- Heat cooking oil in large skillet. Fry each dumpling in oil for 4-5 minutes per side, or until dumplings become golden brown. Place cooked dumplings on paper towel or napkin to allow excess oil to drain off.
- Serve immediately.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tag @sweetandsorrel on Instagram and hashtag it #sweetandsorrel so we can see all the deliciousness!
5 Comments
oh baby. i’m so excited to try these!! yours are gorgeous and bring back so many good memories of jerk and festival in jamaica.
Yay! Its amazing how certain foods can be tied to events in our lives. I’m glad this recipe brought back good memories.
Definitely will try the Rasta pasta and festival recipe. Never could find one so simple and quick
So glad you found these recipes! Let me know how they turn out for you 😀