Jamaican Fried Dumplings Recipe

The Jamaican fried dumplings is a simple and easy savory Jamaican food or snack that is fried but can also be baked or boiled, it is popular comfort food in many households in Jamaica. This fried dumpling recipe is traditionally served with some common Jamaican breakfast recipes like Ackee and saltfish (in this case the dumplings are usually boiled instead of being fried), Mackerel Run Down, and Canned Corned Beef. Other breakfast entrees that go well with fried dumplings include Callaloo and Saltfish, Cook up Saltfish, or Stew Chicken  Livers.

Fried dumplings in Jamaica are also known as Johnnycake (or Johnny cake) and are mostly eaten at weekends with codfish. Johnnycakes are made with cornmeal but are fried like dumplings and also have similar ingredients. In other Caribbean countries, fried dumplings are called “Bakes” – especially in Trinidad, Guyana, and Saint Lucia. The shapes may vary but the ingredients are the same. Jamaican fried dumplings are similar to the Jamaican “Festival recipe”.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of flour
• 1/2 cup of Milk (you can add more if your dough is still crumbly or dry; add a tablespoon at a time and mix until you have the required texture which is non-stick and soft)
• 2 tbsp of white granulated sugar
• 1 and 1/2 tsp of Baking powder
• 2 tbsp of butter at room temperature
• 1/4 tsp of Salt
• 4 cups of olive oil (You can pan fry your dumplings with olive oil, sunflower oil, or any healthy cooking oil of your choice).

How to Make Fried Dumplings – the Jamaican Style

• Start by adding the sifted flour to the mixing bowl.
• To the flour, add the baking powder, salt, and white granulated sugar.
• Mix everything together with a hand whisk and keep aside.
• To the flour mixture, add 2 tbsp of butter and use your clean hands to mix the butter with the flour until you have a crumbly texture.
• Add half a cup of milk into the flour mixture and mix to combine. Do not pour the whole milk at once, add a little milk at a time and mix to get the perfect dough texture you need. Adding too much milk makes your dough sticky and watery. If the milk is not enough, the dough appears too dry, all you need to do is add the milk (or water) using a tablespoon at a time and then mix until you have the desired texture of dough which should be soft but nonsticky.
• Mix until you have a non-sticky and soft dough for your dumplings.
• Cover the dough with a cling film and allow to rest for at least 1 hour or overnight. The longer it stays the better the taste of your dumpling.
• After an hour of resting your dumpling dough, it should be soft and stretchy.
• Transfer to a dusted surface and also sprinkle the surface with some flour to prevent it from sticking to your hands while working on it.
• Flatten the dough a little bit with your hand and divide it into small equal sizes. For this Jamaican fried dumpling recipe, I am dividing it into 8 equal sizes using a pizza cutter. You can use a knife or simply cut with your hands.
• Use your hand to roll each dough into a rounded ball and then keep it aside on a plate. They can also be made into rounded shapes like patties or flat biscuits.

Frying the dumpling

• Place pan on the heat and add enough oil for frying the dumplings. You can pan-fry, use an air fryer, or deep fry your dumplings. I am using a pan for mine.
• Allow the oil to heat up but not too hot. You can test if the oil is okay by dropping a thumb-size dough into the oil. It is expected that the small dough should not quickly pop to the surface of the oil (if this happens, it means the oil is too hot). When the oil is too hot the dumplings are fried only on the surface but the heat may not get inside. Though they will take longer to fry when the heat is low, it is the best way to fry them without getting the outside burnt while the inside is not even cooked yet.
• Add the molded dumplings into the oil and fry until they turn golden brown in color. You can use a skewer to continuously stir and toss over to ensure the whole part of each dumpling gets fried.
• Once the dumplings are fried and golden brown, remove them from the oil using a frying spoon and drain them on a paper towel.

Your easy homemade Jamaican fried dumpling is ready. You can enjoy them with a dumpling sauce or some Jamaican breakfast entries listed at the beginning of the post. They are also great for birthday parties or similar celebrations. The Jamaican style of making fried dumplings is similar to the Nigerian puff puff recipe with the difference being the adding of yeast to the Nigerian puff puff which is absent in the Jamaican fried dumpling.

NOTES:

• You can use water instead of milk in making this dumpling recipe.
• Coconut oil can be substituted for butter and water can be substituted for milk when making the vegan fried dumpling.
• If you don’t want the fried dumplings to be hard, then make sure you allow them to rest for at least an hour. The longer it stays the better; you can even allow it to rest overnight. Adding all the ingredients to form a dough and frying immediately makes the fried dumplings really hard.

FAQ

How do you eat fried dumplings?

1. Dumplings can be added to soups
2. It can be eaten with butter the same way bread is eaten with butter.
3. You can even add fruit Jam in it the same way donuts can be filled with Jam. You can dust them with some cinnamon and sugar powder. Other seasonings that can be dusted on your fried dumplings include cajun seasoning,
4. Fried dumplings also go well with ham and beans.
5. Cut some dumplings and dip into your corned beef stew and enjoy.

How many calories are in fried dumplings?

A serving of this Jamaican fried dumpling contains about 471 calories.

How do you reheat the fried dumplings?

You can reheat the dumplings in a microwave or in your oven. Simply set the oven to low and place the dried dumplings in it. Allow it to heat up in the oven for about 10 minutes. Reheating again in oil will make the dumplings soak up the oil.

How long can you keep fried dumplings?

Fried dumplings can be refrigerated for up to 1 week (7 days) and can always be reheated in the oven or microwave before eating. When storing the fried dumplings, keep them in an airtight container to prevent them from becoming soggy while in the fridge. In the freezer, dumplings can last for up to 3 months.

What’s the best oil to fry dumplings?

Any healthy oil such as olive oil, canola oil, or sunflower oil can be used for frying your dumplings.

Nutrition and Calories

A serving of Jamaican fried dumpling contains about 471 calories, 8.8 grams of protein, 64 grams of carbs, and 19.8 grams of fats. Its salt content is about 855.1mg of sodium.