Kalkal Recipe | Goan Kulkuls {Eggless} (2024)

Kalkal or kul kul is a traditional, deep-fried, Goan pastry shaped into small curls. It is popularly made during Christmas in India!

Here is a step-by-step recipe along with a quick video that shows you how to make kulkuls from scratch! These little curls are crispy, flaky, and moreish! Do try them this season!

Can you believe we are just a few days away from Christmas? Our home sure smells like the Holidays with the various goodies being prepared. So far, I’ve made coconut ice, walnut fudge, baath cake, milk toffee, and guava cheese.

I just finished making a batch of kulkuls yesterday, and this year I had to share it on the blog. It’s been pending since forever. I’m so excited to finally share this recipe with you guys. No kuswar (Goan Christmas sweet platter) is complete without the traditional kulkul. It is quite popular amongst the East Indian community as well!

When I think of kalkal, I remember the good old days when I would help my grandaunt prepare them. Since she lived alone, she’d request me to help her in preparing Christmas sweets. Kulkuls was one of the many sweets she’d make without fail every Christmas. My task was to shape the kulkuls, and I remember having a lot of fun doing it.

Christmas is all about the beautiful memories that I have experienced as a child with my family and friends. I remember the excitement in putting up the Christmas tree and decorating it, brainstorming ideas for the crib, and all the late-night sweet preparations with my Mom and younger sister.

I’m trying to keep those traditions alive, so my kids can have beautiful memories, and hopefully carry it forward and teach their own. Here is a pic of my daughter, Katelyn helping me out 🙂 My job just got easier or maybe not 😀 Kidding! She did a fantastic job rolling out the dough balls!

About this kul kul recipe

Traditionally, kalkal is made with eggs, but this recipe is an eggless version, and trust me you don’t miss the eggs at all. This is my Mum-in-law’s recipe which has been shared earlier on the blog to make shankarpali and kormolas. It is essentially the same dough but can be shaped differently. Her recipe does not include eggs, which is perfect for sharing with those who don’t eat eggs.

If you ask me, making shankarpali is the easiest amongst the three. Kormolas and kalkal can really test your patience if you sit to do it alone. But if you have 3-4 folks helping you out, a lot of the workload is reduced.

Kalkals are crispy, flaky, and melt-in-the-mouth. They are also known as ‘kidyo’ in Konkannim, perhaps because they resemble worms. That definitely doesn’t sound appetizing, but, trust me, it is very addictive once you start munching on them. After all, what’s not to love about carbs, fat, and sugar!

Different ways to make and serve these crispy and flaky curls

There are different versions to make kulkul where,

• The dough is sweetened by adding icing sugar
• The kulkuls are dipped in a sugar syrup after frying, which on drying form a white glaze
• Some like to skip the glaze and dust the kulkuls with icing sugar.

Which way do you prefer them?

They taste great either way! I’m sharing the first version, where we add icing sugar to the dough. Even with the sugar in the dough, these have a very tiny hint of sweetness, it is subtle. After all, everything on the ‘kuswar‘ served is sweet and so these kalkals help cut through that and balance out everything.

Ingredients and equipment needed to make kulkuls

To make this crispy, flaky cookie, you will need the following ingredients;

• All-purpose flour (maida)
• Semolina: Use the fine variety also known as Bombay rava. Some recipes exclude this ingredient, but adding it definitely adds more crunch. You may skip it if you want to.
• Table salt
• Ghee: I’ve used homemade ghee, you can also use melted unsalted butter.
• Icing sugar/confectioner’s sugar: Icing sugar also has a tiny bit of cornstarch, and that helps in making the kulkuls lighter.
• Coconut milk or dairy milk/water: Traditionally, a fresh extract of coconut milk is used. That’s what I’ve used in the recipe. You can also use regular dairy or just water too. Either works well.
• Kulkul roller: Plastic rollers are easily available in shops that sell baking accessories. So that’s what I’ve used. If you don’t have one or can’t find one you can use a fork or a brand new unused comb to shape the dough curls.

How to make kalkal without eggs – Step by step process

Step 1: Prepare the dough

In a large mixing bowl, add 2 cups (285 grams) of all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup (100 grams) semolina, 1/2 teaspoon table salt. Mix well. (Photos 1 to 4)

Add the warm ghee and mix. Rub the ghee into the flour to resemble breadcrumbs. If you hold a portion of the flour-ghee mixture with your fist, it should hold its shape. If not, add another 1-2 tablespoons of warm ghee. (Photos 5 and 6)

Now add 2/3 cup icing sugar (80 grams), mix well. (Photos 7 and 8)

Add coconut milk, a little at a time, to knead a soft dough. Do not knead a tight dough as the semolina will absorb water and make it firmer. I used a little less than 150 ml.

Cover with a clean damp kitchen napkin and leave it aside for 30 minutes. (Photos 9 to 12)

Step 2: Shape the kalkal

After the resting time, pinch a marble-sized portion of the dough, roll it between your palms to make a ball. Repeat until you are done with the rest of the dough. (Photos 13 to 14)

Take a ball and flatten it by spreading it gently with your fingers over the kalkal roller. Start rolling from one end to the other to form a curl. Seal the edges very lightly. Place it on a tray lined with parchment paper. (Photos 15 to 20)

Repeat with the rest of the dough balls. (Photo 21)

You can also use the back of a fork or a brand new comb to shape the dough. (Photos 22 to 25)

Step 3: Frying the kulkuls

Heat oil on medium heat in a heavy-bottomed kadhai. Drop one piece in the oil, if it comes up instantly, the oil is ready. (Photos 26 and 27)

Deep-fry kulkuls on medium-low heat until golden brown on both sides, turning them constantly. Do not let them brown too much, as they will continue cooking in the residual heat and become darker.

Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a tray lined with an absorbent napkin. Fry all the pieces, in batches, depending on the size of your kadai. (Photos 28 to 32).

I did try baking a small batch, and while they turned crispy and had a nice golden brown color, they weren’t flaky, I baked them at 180 C for 18 minutes. (Photos 33 and 34)

I do not suggest baking them using this recipe, it does need some modifications. If you still want to try baking them, do add a pinch of baking powder to make them lighter and help them puff up.

Storage

Once the kulkuls have cooled down completely, store them in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks at room temperature.

A few tips to keep in mind while making kul kuls…

• Involve your friends and family to help you out: Making kulkuls all by yourself is a time-consuming task. You can still pull it off if you make the recipe using these quantities. But if you scale it up, you definitely need help unless you are a pro and quick in working around.
• Soft dough: Knead a soft and elastic dough. The rava absorbs liquid and swells up, the dough will have the perfect consistency before shaping the kalkal. If the dough turns dry and hard after the resting period, add some more coconut milk and knead to a soft dough, or else the dough will keep tearing when you try to roll it into curls.
• Oil temperature: Make sure you deep-fry the kulkuls on medium to medium-low heat. If you fry on high heat, they will brown quickly on the outside and remain soft and raw inside. If you use a candy thermometer, it should register 350° F/180° C.
• Avoid overcrowding the wok: Deep-fry kulkuls in batches, depending on the size of your wok. If you add too many, it will bring down the temperature of the oil. You can always test the temperature of the oil by dropping a small piece of dough before frying the next batch. Adjust the heat accordingly.

You may also enjoy these traditional Goan Christmas sweets

• Marzipan (no-cook/egg-free)
• Bebinca
• Guava cheese
• Milk Cream
• Coconut Toffee
• Baath cake
• Doce de grao (chana dal fudge)
• Karanji/Neureos
• Kormolas
• Shankapali
• No-cook coconut ice
• Rich fruit cake
• Walnut fudge

★ Did you enjoy this Goan Christmas kulkul recipe? If you happen to try it out, I would love to hear from you! I’d appreciate it if you could rate and leave a review below in the comments. Your reviews help others know the recipe better too. Thanks so much 🙂

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I’m winding up with my posts on Christmas sweets this year. As usual, I wanted to share more recipes like date rolls, rose cookies, almond toffee, jujubes, and dodol. I hope to share the rest of it next year. I’m still getting used to my blogging routine after a break of 5 months.

If you have any special requests for recipes, please feel free to reach to me via the contact form and I’ll try my best to share them here.

Merry Christmas everyone! Have a wonderful time with your family <3

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