Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Batter
- 300 g overripe bananas, peeled
- 50 g light brown sugar, packed
- 5 ml mixed essence
- 200 g all-purpose flour, sifted
- 8 g baking powder
- 2 g ground cinnamon
- 1 g ground nutmeg
- 2 g fine sea salt
Frying
- 1000 ml neutral oil
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 51 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- 11 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 69 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 57 mg
- Calcium
- 24 mg
- Iron
- 0.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 6 mg
- Phosphorus
- 19 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.01 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 5 mcg
- Water
- 11 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the overripe bananas in a large mixing bowl and mash them thoroughly with a fork or potato masher until almost smooth, leaving only very small lumps.
Stir the light brown sugar, mixed essence, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and fine sea salt into the mashed bananas until the sugar dissolves completely.
Add the all-purpose flour and baking powder to the bowl. Fold gently with a spatula just until no dry streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix, or the doughnuts will become tough.
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the batter rest at room temperature for 15 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate and the baking powder to activate.
Pour the neutral oil into a heavy-bottomed pot, ensuring it is at least 5 centimeters deep. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 170°C/340°F.
Using a small ice cream scoop or two greased spoons, carefully drop tablespoon-sized mounds of batter into the hot oil. Fry in batches of 6 to 8 to avoid crowding the pot, which lowers the oil temperature.
Fry the gulgulas, turning them occasionally with a spider strainer, until they are deep golden brown and puffed on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch.
Remove the fritters using the spider strainer and transfer them to a wire rack set over paper towels to drain excess oil. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Overripe bananas are critical for this recipe. The skins should be mostly black; this ensures maximum natural sweetness and the correct level of moisture for a tender crumb.
- Mixed essence is a staple in Caribbean baking, blending flavors like vanilla, almond, pear, and sometimes rum. If you cannot find it, a 50/50 split of vanilla and almond extract is an excellent substitute.
- Do not overmix the batter once the flour is added. Developing the gluten will turn these tender cake-like doughnuts into dense, chewy lumps.
- Using a small spring-loaded ice cream scoop dipped in a little cooking oil ensures perfectly round, uniform gulgulas that cook evenly.
- Allowing the batter to rest for 15 minutes is a crucial step. It thickens the batter naturally as the flour hydrates, preventing the fritters from spreading out too flat in the hot oil.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container lined with paper towels.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze in a single layer before transferring to a freezer-safe bag.
Reheating: Reheat in an oven or air fryer at 160 degrees Celsius for 5 to 8 minutes until the exterior crisps up again. Avoid microwaving as it will make them soggy.
Troubleshooting
Fritters are dark on the outside but raw and doughy in the center.
Cause: The frying oil temperature was too high, causing the exterior to cook before the heat could penetrate the center.
Fix: Transfer the undercooked fritters to a baking sheet and bake in a 160 C oven for 5 to 8 minutes to cook the center without burning the outside.
Prevention: Use a deep fry thermometer and maintain the oil strictly at 170 C, adjusting the burner as needed.
Fritters are greasy and absorbed too much oil.
Cause: Oil temperature dropped too low (below 160 C), or the pot was overcrowded with cold batter.
Fix: Cannot be completely fixed, but placing them on paper towels immediately and pressing gently can blot some surface oil.
Prevention: Fry in smaller batches and allow the oil to return to 170 C before adding the next batch of batter.
Cultural Context
Phagwah, the Indo-Caribbean observance of the Hindu festival Holi, is a vibrant celebration of spring, renewal, and the triumph of good over evil. Across the diaspora, particularly in Guyana and Trinidad, homes are filled with the scent of frying Gulgula (sweet banana fritters). These tender doughnuts, heavily flavored with warm spices and local mixed essence, are traditionally shared generously among neighbors, family, and friends regardless of religious background, symbolizing community harmony and shared joy.
