A fool proof version of Jamaican Festival (cornmeal fried dumpling) that is gluten free and vegan friendly. This island favourite is the perfect side to a number of savoury foods.
Who doesn't love some festival? This has to be one of my favourite doughy side dishes next to fried dumpling and Bammy.
You can eat them alone (they are so addictive) or serve them as a side with savoury foods such as steamed fish, escovitch fish, ackee and saltfish, some stew chicken or jerk meat.
Whatever the case, you are guaranteed to have a belly full of delicious yard food.
What is Jamaican festival?
Sometimes referred to as just "festival" is a side dish made from flour, cornmeal (usually the fine textured), sugar, baking powder, milk and salt.
Some people add a very tiny amount of nutmeg and cinnamon while others use a mixture of water/milk or just water.
I personally prefer to use milk in mine because I like the taste a bit better.
The dry ingredients are combined to make a dough with the milk/water and then the dough is portioned into smaller pieces and rolled into a sausage shape and fried.
Festival is very similar to fried dumpling in a sense.
What is the difference between fried dumpling and festival?
The most significant difference is the use of cornmeal and the use of milk which is used in festival. On the contrary, fried dumpling doesn't contain any cornmeal or milk.
Also the shape, fried dumpling is round with more depth. On the other hand, festival are sausage shaped with a mini point (some people don't stretch them to create a point).
Don't forget to check out my Jamaican Fried Dumpling Recipe too!
The gluten free way
Of course, you know I had to drop a gluten free version of this recipe. I piggy backed off the roti recipe that I did.
I was so impressed with combination of the flour(s) that I used in that recipe that I knew it wouldn't be so hard to make some festival using a very similar formula.
I used a combination of fine cornmeal (it must be fine!!) like what is used in these Conkies, cassava flour (NOT Starch) and brown rice flour.
The cassava flour and brown rice flour are both wholesome, unrefined ingredient. I always try where possible to give a more nutritional value spin on gluten free cooking.
Thankfully, I'm not using a premade flour blend which can sometimes include one or two refined flour/starches.
You do need some xanthan gum to bind everything together and I do recommend using milk, specifically almond milk with it being a gluten free recipe, it tastes much better when milk is used.
Just like my roti recipe, measurements are key to success, it's important that you follow the recipe to the tee, don't skip measuring.
I know measuring ingredients isn't culturally embraced in island cooking (I grew up on these principles too) but gluten free cooking does need more accuracy and precision to come out perfect the first time around.
I also recommend using a pastry brush to coat the festival once they have been shaped into sausages. A brush of milk will help to keep the dough to soften prior to frying.
The steps
- Place the cornmeal, cassava flour, brown rice flour, xanthan gum, nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar, baking powder and pink salt in a medium sized bowl.
- Use a whisk to evenly combine the dry ingredients.
- Make a well in the centre of the bowl then start to pour the milk into the centre, a small amount at a time (you may NOT use all of the milk).
- As you pour the milk, start to knead to form a soft dough ball (it shouldn't be tough, nor very sticky). Add more flour if it is too sticky!
- Pinch off a small amount of dough and proceed to roll into 4 inch long sausage shapes, then stretch a little to make 2 points on each side.
- Place the festival on a tray lined with parchment paper then repeat the above step with the rest of the dough.
- Once the festival dumpling are formed, use a pastry brush to brush each side with some of the leftover milk.
- Preheat a small frying pan with coconut oil, you want the oil to be very hot.
- Add the festival to the frying pan (you may need to work in batches).
- Reduce the heat to medium-high and fry the festival for several minutes until they are golden brown, turning frequently (if they brown too soon, then reduce the heat to medium).
- Place the cooked festival on kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil and serve accordingly!
Notes and tips
- The dough shouldn't be too sticky, but it shouldn't be really firm either or the festival with be more of the dense side.
- To re-heat the festival, wrap them up in aluminium foil and heat for a few minutes in the oven.
- When adding the milk PLEASE DO NOT ADD IT ALL AT ONCE, add and knead until the get a pliable dough to avoid creating a sticky mess!
- The amount of festival you make will vary, depending on the size/shape. I made a total of 7 but you can portion the dough to get a specific/even amount.
- Once the festival are shaped, fry them quickly, don't leave the dough to rest for best results.
- I recommend using almond or cashew milk don't use coconut milk because it will be overpowering in taste.
- Make sure to use fine cornmeal (or fine cornflour if you live in the states), non gmo or organic where possible.
- DON'T use coarse cornmeal as this needs more time to cook through and you will end up with grainy, raw cornmeal in your festival.
- This recipe does need frying (I shallow fry), unfortunately, air frying and oven baking simply doesn't work, after several attempts I had to admit defeat so save yourself the time and hassle.
- Make sure you are using CASSAVA FLOUR not STARCH I cannot stress this enough or the recipe simply won't work.
- To minimise the use of oil use a small frying pan, rotate/swirl the pan and cook in small batches.
Recipes to try festival dumpling with
- Escovitch Fish
- Ackee and Saltfish
- Jamaican Steamed Fish
- Jamaican Curry Chicken
- Oxtail Stew
- Curry Goat
- Stew Beef
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Jamaican Festival Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup fine cornmeal (78g)
- ½ cup cassava flour (68g)(NOT STARCH)
- ¼ cup brown rice flour (32g)
- 2 tablespoon raw cane sugar (24g)(I used powdered coconut sugar, see post)
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (3g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder (2g)
- ⅛ teaspoon pink salt (0.75g)
- a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg optional
- 1 cup almond milk (250ml)
Instructions
- Place the cornmeal, cassava flour, brown rice flour, xanthan gum, nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar, baking powder and pink salt in a medium sized bowl.
- Use a whisk to evenly combine the dry ingredients.
- Make a well in the centre of the bowl then start to pour the milk into the centre, a small amount at a time (you may NOT use all of the milk).
- As you pour the milk, start to knead to form a soft dough ball (if shouldn't be tough, nor very sticky). Add more flour if it is too sticky!
- Pinch off a small amount of dough and proceed to roll into 4 inch long sausage shapes, then stretch a little to make 2 points on each side.
- Place the festival on a tray lined with parchment paper then repeat the above step with the rest of the dough.
- Once the festival dumpling are formed, use a pastry brush to brush each side with some of the leftover milk.
- Preheat a small frying pan with coconut oil, you want the oil to be very hot.
- Add the festival to the frying pan (you may need to work in batches).
- Reduce the heat to medium-high and fry the festival for several minutes until they are golden brown, turning frequently (if they brown too soon, then reduce the heat to medium).
- Place the cooked festival on kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil and serve accordingly!
Notes
- The dough shouldn't be too sticky, but it shouldn't be really firm either or the festival with be more of the dense side.
- To re-heat the festival, wrap them up in aluminium foil and heat for a few minutes in the oven.
- When adding the milk PLEASE DO NOT ADD IT ALL AT ONCE, add and knead until the get a pliable dough to avoid creating a sticky mess!
- The amount of festival you make will vary, depending on the size/shape. I made a total of 7 but you can portion the dough to get a specific/even amount.
- Once the festival are shaped, fry them quickly, don't leave the dough to rest for best results.
- I recommend using almond or cashew milk don't use coconut milk because it will be overpowering in taste.
- Make sure to use fine cornmeal (or fine cornflour if you live in the states), non gmo or organic where possible.
- DON'T use coarse cornmeal as this needs more time to cook through and you will end up with grainy, raw cornmeal in your festival.
- This recipe does need frying (I shallow fry), unfortunately, air frying and oven baking simply doesn't work, after several attempts I had to admit defeat so save yourself the time and hassle.
- Make sure you are using CASSAVA FLOUR not STARCH I cannot stress this enough or the recipe simply won't work.
- To minimise the use of oil use a small frying pan, rotate/swirl the pan and cook in small batches.
Karli Allen says
Do you think I could use a 1:1 GF flour (which has brown rice flour, xanthan gum, and potato starch in it) instead of the rice flour, xanthan gum and cassava flour separately?
Charla says
Hi Karli, It should work since the mix is quite similar. I hope that helps!
Lou says
Hi Charla
Sorry for the ridiculous question but is there any chance I could do this with the coconut oil Fry Light?
Thank you
Louise
Charla says
It's not a silly question at all. it the plan to just spritz the festival with oil to reduce the amount of oil being used? If so, then it wouldn't work because it would be raw on the inside and not cook properly.