Jamaican Festival (recipe)

Jamaican Festival has to be one of my most favorite things ever. Seriously. It is just delicious. Slightly sweet cornmeal fried ‘dumplings’, they are traditionally served alongside spicy meat dishes, such as Jamaica’s infamous ‘jerk’. The sweetness offsets the meat, pepper and spices most sublimely, and the doughy texture is ideal for soaking up gravy and sauces. The lovely golden colour also makes a wonderful accent when plating a dish. Its color is also why i have submitted it to the Taste of Yellow food challenge 🙂

For a totally non-traditional twist, drizzle them with honey while still warm and you’ve got a wonderful breakfast idea as well 😉

Why the name Festival? Well supposedly the taste is so divine it’s like having a ‘festival’ in your mouth. Hehe. I’ll let you be the judge 🙂

Jamaican Festival
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Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
oil for frying

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together, adding just enough cold water to make a stiff dough (about 3/4 cup).

Knead and divide into six portions.

Roll each portion with your hands into a log shape and squeeze lightly to flatten.

Heat oil in a skillet or wok and deep fry the festivals until golden brown, about 4 minutes each.

Remove excess oil on kitchen towel before serving.