This Jamaican Festival Recipe offers a perfect side dish with any meal, just like dinner rolls. The secret is the crispy exterior with that delicious deep-fried flavor and the soft and fluffy interior.

Jamaican Festivals coming out of rolled paper.

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Yet again, they go perfectly with any stews, Goat Curry, roast, or, if called upon a more traditional combination, Jerk chicken or Jamaican Escovitch fish. You can have them for breakfast with any eggs, butter, and jam or just for a snack; they will always leave you with pure satisfaction! If you enjoy beans, you should try Akara bean fritters.

What is Jamaican Festival?

Jamaican Festivals or Jamaican festival dumplings are usually fried pieces of dough, eaten like bread or dinner roll, as a side. They have a crispy exterior and fluffy interior that soaks up all the flavors of the dishes, like curry and stews. History says these dumplings were perfect food for the African and Jamaican workers to carry during long journeys to work in the 18th century.

Traditionally, Jamaican Festivals and Jamaican dumplings are not the same. The only difference is that the Jamaican Festivals are more on the sweeter side and have flour only. Meanwhile, the dumplings have flour and cornmeal as the base. You might also find them in different shapes in traditional restaurants or households.

Nevertheless, I found them a perfect side dish and snack from Mediterranean cuisine.

Pile of Jamaican Festivals with one missing a bite.

Jamaican Festival: Ingredients

Here are all the things you need to make these delicious dumplings:

Dry Ingredients: All-purpose flour and cornmeal are the main base of the dumplings. The cornmeal gives the dumpling a little chew with a soft, fluffy texture.

Wet Ingredients: The only thing you need to knead the dough is milk. Some recipes call for water, but milk makes them more delicious and soft.

Flavoring: Nutmeg and Brown sugar will give the dumplings a deep, sweet flavor. I am adding salt to enhance the sweetness. Honestly, a teaspoon of salt can do wonders in such dishes.

Poofing Agent: Baking powder is the key to making them fluffy. The baking powder will make them poof when they hit the oil.

Oil for frying: I have used neutral oil, but you can use any type of oil you like. My preferences are Canola oil and sunflower oil. In short, you need oil with a high smoking point.

Jamaican Festival ingredients including flour, corn meal, and nutmeg.

How to make the Jamaican Festivals

Preheat the oil: Start by preheating the oil in a deep pot to 350 F.
Mix Dry ingredients and flavorings: In a bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder, nutmeg, sugar, and salt.

Add Milk and Knead: Gradually add milk and knead the dough to a soft yet sticky texture.

Shape the dumplings: Make golf-sized balls and form long oval shapes. You can also flatten them a little bit for a more traditional shape.

Long, oval rolls of dough on a black plate.

Fry the dumplings: Fry the balls in preheated oil for 5 to 8 minutes. Then flip and fry till even color and doneness.

Serve: Serve them warm with the other dishes.

Alternative ways to cook Jamaican Festivals

Traditionally, these Jamaican dumplings are fried, but you can also try cooking them in an Air fryer and oven. You will get the fluffy inside with a golden exterior but might miss out on that nostalgic deep-fried flavor.

Air Fryer

Preheat the Air fryer to 350 F.
Line the air fryer's basket with parchment paper or liner and drizzle oil over it. The trick is that we are not spraying the oil; you should add around a tablespoon of oil to get them crispy.
Drop in your dumplings, and don't overcrowd them.
Brush oil over the dumplings and cook for 10 to 12 minutes.
Then crank up the heat to 380 F and air fry for another 5 minutes to get the golden color.

Oven

Preheat the Air fryer to 350 F.
Line the baking tray with parchment paper and drizzle enough oil over it.
Place the dumplings over the tray about an inch apart.
Brush oil over the dumplings and cook for 10 to 12 minutes.
If the color is light, broil for 3 to 5 minutes to get them golden.

Jamaican Festivals pilled on a white and grey napkin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add Vegan milk to the recipe?

You can try vegan milk. But you might have to eyeball the ratio of milk to flour to make a soft dough. You can just add water, too, as a vegan alternative.

How can I store Jamaican fried dumplings?

You can put the fried leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate it for a day. But if you use dumpling dough as a leftover, I suggest you use it within 12 hours. The reason is that the dough might retain moisture and will become dense.

Or you can freeze the dough for 2 to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and fry them fresh. The texture of the dough might change due to the thawing process.

How can I reheat Jamaican Festival dumplings?

You can also reheat the Fried Jamaican dumpling in the air fryer or the oven. Air fry or bake them at 350 F for 5 to 8 minutes.

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