Jamaican Fried Festival

The Jamaican festival is a popular street and beach food. It’s a great snack or side dish to have for lunch or dinner. It’s sweet, savory, and full of flavor.

Festival is very unique to Jamaica. Correct me if I am wrong but I’ve never seen it anywhere else outside of the Caribbean. Usually, they are served as side dishes and served with fish. It is usually a beach food. I had mine with some Escovitch Fish and Fried Okra. You can have it as a snack or whatever you would like. 

I wish I could explain what it is similar to. However, the taste has a  sweet, savory note. You can taste that it has cornmeal and brown sugar. It’s very delicious!

It is best served hot and doesn’t hold up overnight so make sure to make what you need. 

It can be made Gluten-free with Almond Flour.

Recipes to Try

Jamaican Escovitch Sauce

Jamaican Escoveitch (Escovitch) Fish

Fried Okra

Steamed Whole Fish (Jamaican Style with a twist)

Jamaican Festival

Fallon Brooks

The Jamaican festival is a popular street and beach food. It's a great snack or side dish to have for lunch or dinner. It's sweet, savory, and full of flavor.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 12 mins

Resting Time 1 hr

Total Time 1 hr 22 mins

Course Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Jamaican

Servings 4 people

Equipment

• Frying pan

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cornmeal
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ cup brown or white sugar
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 2 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup of cold water
• Oil for frying

Instructions

 

• In a large bowl combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and mix together.
• Then add sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, salt, and mix well.
• Make a well inside the center of the flour and add a small amount of the water at a time then knead the dough until it is smooth and soft (not thick, mushy or sticky).
• Cover the dough with a plastic wrap and let it sit for at least a 1hr.
• On a flat surface sprinkle a 1 ounce of flour.
• After the dough has rested, place it on the floured flat surface then break apart a piece of the dough and roll it in the palm of your hand until you make a smooth ball. Repeat until the dough is finished.
• After you have created the balls. Put one ball at a time in the palm of your hand and roll to make a cylinder shape with the ends thinner and pointy.
• Add oil to pot and heat to around 300-320 degrees. Add rolled dough a fry until golden brown. Should take around 5 mins on each side.

Video

Keyword Festival, Jamican Festival