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Sadly, all good things come to an end except my blogging of course. The activity- and action-packed days of summer are now a refreshing memory. My annual Fourth of July BBQ, a family vacation in exquisite Turks and Caicos, elaborate birthday parties, graduation parties, potlucks, concerts, road trips, camping trips, and family visits. Some of us visited every park, beach, and museum within a 10-mile radius. We kept going and going and going, all in an eager attempt to maximize the few warm months of summer. Now that it’s over, I am enjoying the calmer, colorful days of fall and looking forward to a peaceful (but not dreadfully cold) winter. I am grateful that living in a temperate zone allows us to break, restore, and renew for a few months.

Some of you have noticed my long quiescence. I don’t have one specific reason but I know it’s all part of the spiritual metamorphosis I have been experiencing. There are times when I eliminate all distractions to focus on whatever I am dealing with at the moment. I’ve also missed blogging, but it wasn’t happening. I had good intentions, but I could never see a post come to fruition. Just sitting at my computer at this moment feels triumphant, like I’ve broken a curse or restraint barring my creativity.

Even at this victorious moment, in the background, the Dah calling out to me to go to the gym with him. He must be insane. Who goes to the gym at 3:00 pm on a Saturday? Ok, don’t answer that. I certainly prefer sitting here at my computer with a bowl (very small) of freshly made, crunchy kurma, sharing the recipe and a kurma story (or two) with you.

The origin of this recipe

This recipe was graciously given to me by my mother-in-law, Grace, a humble, unpretentious woman with a beautiful smile and a heart of gold. She is occasionally called upon to make as much as 25 pounds of kurma for weddings and prayers. During my last visit to Trinidad, around Diwali,

I had the pleasure of accompanying her to a neighbor’s house to make kurma. You see, in that house lives a 10-year-old little girl who promised a teacher she would bring five pounds of kurma for him for his pooja the next day, not taking into consideration that her mother does not know how. That unsettling circumstance prompted the girl’s mother to race out the door in her housework-stained clothes and disheveled hair to my mother-in-law’s house to plead for assistance.

My Childhood Kurma Story

What is the significance of that story? Thirty years ago (and a little more) I was that little girl, with an excessively generous countenance, always volunteering to bring something to school despite knowing my mother worked and never had the time nor the patience. “Two huge tubs of ice cream”, “barfi”, “parsad”, “fried rice”, and “bbq chicken”. You name it, I volunteered to bring it.

Lots of buff up (Trini for the act of being “screamed at”) and licks (aka reprimanding) later, I still didn’t learn my lesson, until one day Mummy said NO! Her friend Aunty Shudaye said NO! Everyone said NO! I cried, panicked, and cried some more. The memory of that horrible night has haunted me over the years. My uncle Bhola, Daddy’s younger brother, in his early 20s at the time, offered to rescue me from my potential demise. One little problem, he never made kurma before, probably never cooked, as I’ve never seen him near the stove.

Uncle Bhola Saves the Day

With instructions and advice from anyone who would volunteer it and a few notes scratched on a crumpled paper from an old “copybook”, we headed to the kitchen. There in Grandma’s kitchen, I watched on with bated breath and a rapidly beating heart as Uncle Bhola carefully put the ingredients in a large bowl and kneaded it to form a dough. Fear monopolized my thoughts, “What if it doesn’t come out good”? “What if no one likes it?” “Everyone’s going to laugh at me!” “I not going to school tomorrow nah!” {Trini Slang} We rolled it out, cut it, fried it, boiled some sugar and water until thick and poured it over the kurma to coat.

Since there were no phones back then, I recall speeding back and forth, in my already worn-out rubber slippers, from the kitchen to my mother/anybody/somebody asking for clarifications and to appease any doubts on the process.

Uncle Bhola continuously reassured me in a gentle, encouraging, confident tone, “doh worry nah man, we got this, no problem”. Three decades later, his voice in my head is still a beacon of hope. That night we finished making it way past my bedtime, about 1 or 2 a.m. I remember all the details of the kurma-making process but honestly, I have no recollection of the taste, outcome or feedback received. A dire result of PTSD(post-traumatic stress disorder).

After that day/night/hour, I never (ever, ever) volunteered to make or bring anything to school without consulting my mom first. That experience proved to be one of the earliest, most difficult lessons I’ve learned. Three decades later, whenever I see Uncle Bhola during any of my visits home, we still have a few laughs about that interesting night.

What is Trinidad Kurma?

For those of you who don’t know, kurma is a sweet, addictive dessert or snack. A crunchy, flavorful, fried pastry dough covered with a thin coating of sugar. It is served in a bag of parsad given out at the end of Hindu religious ceremonies, during Hindu festivals such as Diwali, or sold in small bags.

Whenever I visit Trinidad, I always return to the US with an abundant supply of this legit drug, all homemade – prepared only by the best, my mother-in-law. Today I am sharing Grace’s (my mother-in-law’s) secret recipe with you. This is much tastier than the kurma you would buy in the restaurants in NY and much tastier than most of the commercially made ones I’ve had in Trinidad, so let’s get to work.

How much kurma should I make?

In case you are curious, 5 pounds (flour) is sufficient for a small prayer function, 10 pounds for a medium-sized one, and 20–25 pounds for a large wedding. This recipe can be easily and successfully doubled or tripled.

What are the ingredients in kurma?

2.5 lbs all-purpose flour
½ tablespoon ground cinnamon (15 grams)
1 teaspoon ground elaichi (cardamom) (5 g)

2 tablespoons grated ginger, or to your preference
1 lb butter (2 x 227 grams), cold ( I use Kerrygold salted)
¾ cup evaporated milk (250ml), cold, or more if required
1 can condensed milk (395 grams), cold
Vegetable oil, for deep frying (about 4 – 6 cups)

What are the ingredients for the sugar syrup used to coat the kurma?

2 cups water
2 cups white granulated sugar (1 pound) ( I used raw organic cane sugar which is darker)
1 teaspoon grated ginger, or more if you like it “gingery”

How to make Trinidad Kurma?

1.In a large bowl combine flour, cinnamon, elaichi and ginger. Cut butter into cubes and, using your fingers, rub it into the flour, until it resembles fine crumbs(like a pastry dough).

2.Add the evaporated milk and condensed milk and knead for 10-15 minutes to form a smooth, firm dough.(I always start with ½ cup evaporated milk and add more if required).

3.Divide the dough into 3 pieces and form into balls (loyahs). Place on a tray or bowl and refrigerate for 10 minutes. (I made two but highly suggest three as it is more manageable.)

4.In a large iron pot over medium heat and add enough oil to deep fry (a little less than half pot). Line a large bowl or sheet tray with brown paper or parchment paper.

5.While the oil is coming to temperature(hot), remove one ball(loyah)from the refrigerator, place on a counter or chowki(board), and using a rolling pin(belnah), roll the dough to a thinness of 1/8 inch, like a roti dough, (do not use dry flour because when you are frying, the oil will brown very quickly).

6.Then, using a pastry cutter or dull knife, cut out the dough, vertically (top to bottom), into strips 1-1 ½ inch wide. Lift each strip and roll between the palm of your hands to resemble a rope. Place back on the counter and cut into 1 inch pieces, or to your preferred length.

Alternately, without rolling, cut into thin diagonal strips. Place on an oiled tray. Repeat with the remaining strips. (The latter is my preferred method as I like my kurma thin, dark and long.)

7.When the oil is hot, place all the pieces immediately (and carefully) into the hot oil and fry until dark golden brown (do not try to separate the pieces in the oil as it will separate itself). Cook low and slow for crunchy kurma! Once separated, turn frequently. Using a spider strainer or slotted spoon, remove kurma from the oil and place on the lined sheet trays to drain and cool completely. Repeat with the remaining loyahs.

8.Separate kurma into 2 large bowls or one very large bowl.

Make Phaag(sugar syrup):

1.While the kurma is frying, in a saucepan over medium heat, bring water, sugar and ginger to a gentle boil. Boil for 30-45 minutes or until it starts to get frothy/bubbly/syrupy and/or starts to form sugar crystals on the sides(230 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer). Then, keep on the lowest heat.

2.Pour sugar syrup one cup at a time over kurma and turn quickly and gently to coat completely(Warning–if you don’t put enough, it will not be as crunchy!). Using a clean spoon(no oil), mix quickly but gently until kurma is evenly coated. Continue turning until sugar hardens/dries and the kurma is coated with a white layer. If at any point it’s very sticky, keep turning, it will eventually dry. Don’t give up!

3.Dust with powdered milk(optional).

Please like, share, post a comment or question below, or tell me your kurma story. I would love to hear from you!

With Love,
Ria

Best Kurma Recipe

Kurma is a sweet, addicting anytime dessert or snack. A crunchy, flavorful, fried pastry dough covered with a thin coating of sugar. It is served in a bag of parsad given out at the end of Hindu religious ceremonies, during Hindu festivals such as Diwali, or sold in small bags.

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Course: Appetizer, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Indian, Trinidadian

Keyword: kumar, kurma, trini kurma, trinidad kurma

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 1

Servings:

Calories: 349kcal

Ingredients

2.5 lbs all-purpose flour
½ tablespoon ground cinnamon 15 grams
1 teaspoon cardamom ground (5 g)
2 tablespoons grated ginger
1 lb butter 2 x 227 grams, cold
¾ cup evaporated milk 250ml, cold
1 can condensed milk 395 grams, cold
Vegetable oil for deep frying

For Sugar syrup (phaag)

2 cups water
2 cups granulated sugar 1 pound ( I used raw organic cane sugar which is darker)
1 teaspoon grated ginger or more if you like it "gingery"

Instructions

In a large bowl combine flour, cinnamon, elaichi and ginger. Cut butter into cubes and, using your fingers, rub it into the flour, until it resembles fine crumbs(like a pastry dough).
Add the evaporated milk and condensed milk and knead for 10-15 minutes to form a smooth, firm dough.(I always start with ½ cup evaporated milk and add more if required).
Divide the dough into 3 pieces and form into balls (loyahs). Place on a tray or bowl and refrigerate for 10 minutes. (I made two but highly suggest three as it is more manageable.)
In a large iron pot over medium heat and add enough oil to deep fry (a little less than half pot). Line a large bowl or sheet tray with brown paper or parchment paper.
While the oil is coming to temperature(hot), remove one ball(loyah)from the refrigerator, place on a counter or chowki(board), and using a rolling pin(belnah), roll the dough to a thinness of 1/8 inch, like a roti dough, (do not use dry flour because when you are frying, the oil will brown very quickly).
Then, using a pastry cutter or dull knife, cut out the dough, vertically (top to bottom), into strips 1-1 ½ inch wide. Lift each strip and roll between the palm of your hands to resemble a rope. Place back on the counter and cut into 1 inch pieces, or to your preferred length. Alternately, without rolling, cut into thin diagonal strips. Place on an oiled tray. Repeat with the remaining strips. (The latter is my preferred method as I like my kurma thin, dark and long.)
When the oil is very hot, place all the pieces immediately (and carefully) into the hot oil and fry until dark golden brown (do not try to separate the pieces in the oil as it will separate itself). Once separated, turn frequently. Using a spider strainer, remove kurma from the oil and place on the lined sheet trays to drain and cool completely. Repeat with the remaining loyahs.
Separate kurma into 2 large bowls or one very large bowl.

Make Phaag(sugar syrup):

While the kurma is frying, in a saucepan over medium heat, bring water, sugar and ginger to a gentle boil. Boil for 30-45 minutes or until it starts to get frothy/bubbly/syrupy and/or starts to form sugar crystals on the sides(230 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer). Then, keep on the lowest heat.
Pour sugar syrup one cup at a time over kurma and turn quickly and gently to coat completely(Warning--if you don't put enough, it will not be as crunchy!). Using a clean spoon(no oil), mix quickly but gently until kurma is evenly coated. Continue turning until sugar hardens/dries and the kurma is coated with a white layer. If at any point it's very sticky, keep turning, it will eventually dry. Don't give up!
Dust with powdered milk(optional).