The Hindu festival of Holi, also known as Phagwah, is soon approaching and I can't help but feel the optimism and joy that the holiday tends to evoke. Phagwah is derived from the Sanskrit term “Phalguna,” which refers to the Hindu month (February–March) when the spring festival of Holi is celebrated.
In Guyana and Trinidad, Indo-Caribbean communities say Phagwah rather than Holi, maintaining the Bhojpuri pronunciation carried to the Caribbean by indentured laborers who arrived from North India in the 19th century.
The purpose of this colorful extravaganza is two-fold; celebrating the new season of spring and also the religious significance of good over evil. Hindus observe this holiday by smearing colored powder, all over their friends and family, lighting bonfires, and enjoying music and dance.
The colored powder, known as abir, comes in so many different colors that when thrown into the air, everything just looks like a Crayola plant exploded into pieces - it's all just so vibrant and energizing to me. Sweets are prepared and also shared with loved ones to celebrate this wonderful time of year. In my family, gulgula, which is a sweet banana fritter, is commonly made among other goodies like goja, a coconut stuffed patty and vermicelli cake, colored with a little pink, yellow, or green food coloring. What would a celebration of anything be without food?
My childhood memories of Phagwah I remember the very first year I attended the Phagwah parade in Richmond Hill, Queens. It was so much fun seeing everyone in the community happy and just embracing the festivities. I couldn't even tell who was who out there; it was just a sea of pink. I remember my brother filling up his super soaker nerf gun with water that had been mixed with abir to ensure when he sprayed us, we'd come back home a different color than when we left the house you always had to watch out for anyone that had a nerf gun.
My cousins and I ran up and down Liberty avenue as we made our way to Smokey Park; running away from each other to avoid getting smeared and soaked, even though we knew it was inevitable and all a part of the fun. We had such a blast! When it was all over, my mom picked us up from the parade, with the interior of her car lined with garbage bags to avoid getting the seats stained. We headed over to my uncle's house to enjoy some sweets, including one of my favorites- gulgula.
That night, no matter how much I showered, no matter how much I scrubbed, my face was still pink, and well, a little green and blue, too. The abir just didn't come off! I went to school the next day and certainly received a lot of strange looks. I mean can you blame my non-Hindu classmates? The last time they saw me I didn't look like a rainbow threw up on me! I took the opportunity to educate my teacher and classmates about my culture and why my skin was so pink.
Naturally, they all wanted to come to the parade with me the following year. I have not attended the Phagwah parade in many many years, but when it comes to mind it reminds me of a time well spent with family and friends as we embraced the arrival of a bright and beautiful time of year. Today I'd like to share with you my mom's gulgula recipe, it's a favorite of my cousin, Ashley. She always used to wait patiently for Phagwah to come around for my mom's "sweet pholourie" as she would commonly call it. She said it tasted even better when made especially during Holi. For all those celebrating, have a happy and safe Phagwah!
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| Holi celebrations (photo taken from Google Images) |
You'll need two or three very ripe bananas.
Peel and mash it to a smooth but slightly lumpy consistency.
Add the spices, sugar, and extract.
Stir in the flour and baking powder. You can also add ½ teaspoon of yeast here.
Fold in any raisins or maraschino cherries, if you desire them.
Use two spoons to drop batter into hot oil. Scoop up some batter with one spoon and use the other to sort of shape the batter before dropping it into the oil. Fry until dark golden brown, drain on paper towel.
Mom's Gulgula (Banana Fritters)
In March 2026 I posted a reel making this recipe on my Instagram page. Many commenters suggested I try this recipe with steamed pumpkin instead. I have only ever known gulgula to be made with banana, but many people make it with pumpkin, ripe plaintains, and just spices alone. In any case, it is still referred to as gulgula. I loved the pumpkin variation, however I did notice the batter needed more flour due to higher water content from the pumpkin, so take note of that if you make this recipe.
Pumpkin gulgula
Mom’s Gulgula (Banana fritters)
Lightly spiced, golden-brown banana fritters that are a must during Holi and Diwali.
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas, about 1 cup mashed
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or mixed essence
- ¾ - 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon yeast, optional
- handful raisins
- 8 maraschino cherries, each chopped into 4 small pieces(optional)
- oil for frying
For pumpkin variation
- Swap out banana for 1 cup/8oz pumpkin purée
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, peel and mash bananas until slightly smooth.
- Add sugar, spices, and vanilla extract, mix in well; set aside.
- In a separate bowl, sift flour and baking powder together. If using yeast, add it here.
- Stir flour mixture into banana mixture until you no longer see any specks of flour. The batter should be a little thicker than pancake batter and be able to slightly hold its shape when dropped into the oil. Fold in desired amount of raisins or chopped maraschino cherries. Let mixture rest for 20-25 minutes.
- Heat a deep pot with enough oil to fry gulgula. If using a thermometer it should read 340-350 degrees F.
- Use two small spoons or a teaspoon-sized cookie scooop to drop into the hot oil. Scoop up some batter with one spoon and use the other to shape the batter into a ball before dropping it into the oil. Turn frequently to ensure even browning. Fry until dark golden brown.
- Remove gulgulas from oil and place in a bowl lined with paper towels.
For pumpkin variation
If using a fresh piece of pumpkin, chop it into smaller pieces and peel the skin. Rinse and place in a steamer for 20 minutes until you are able to mash it easily. I bought a 1.5lb piece of pumpkin, steamed the entire piece, mashed it, then measured out 1 cup for this recipe. I stored the remainder in the freezer for use in another recipe.
I recommend adding a level 1 cup of flour because pumpkin has more water content than bananas. I also recommend using ½ teaspoon of yeast for the pumpkin variation, as it help to give a lift to the batter.
Notes
- Ripe, speckled bananas work best for this recipe. The more speckled, the sweeter the banana.
- Do a taste test by frying one gulgula first before frying up the entire bowl of batter so you can check to see if there is enough sugar and spices to suit your palate.
- Yeast is not necessary, but helps to give the gulgula a lift. I recommend using yeast if making the pumpkin version because it provides a nice airy texture.
- I find ¼ cup flour per banana is the perfect amount. Batter should be slightly thicker than cake or pancake batter and should be able to slightly hold its shape when dropped into the oil. If this does not happen, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time until consistency is reached.
Shweet Spicess says
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Navi c says
Its so amazing to see indian descendants making things they were taught. I am fourth generation Indian from South africa, and we do the same gulgula. Mum does change it a bit by adding some cardamom and eliminating the banana. I will definitely try this. Thanks for sharing
Navi c says
I find it so amazing that south African Indians and you share the same dish. I did some research and found out that many Indians were brought to guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, as well as Souoth Africa to work on the sugar cane plantations. I hope we can continue to pass these recipes down and perhaps find family links in between. Love this recipe, sounds similar to my mum, though usually she'll omit the banana and spice and add cardamon. I will make this recipe this weekend.Thanks for sharing
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Swaran nair says
My mum, we are from Fiji Islands,always used this same recipe using bananas but omitted the spices.She did put vanilla essence. I still use this recipes
Sebastian Wahl says
absolutely perfect
Shabana says
Hi Alica, is it possible to replace the banana with another fruit? I absolutely love gulgula, however, my eldest son is allergic to bananas.
Alica says
Hi Shabana,
Yes absolutely, I've tried it with strawberries before and it tastes so good. I would say about 1 or 2 cups mashed/slightly pureed strawberries. You can even try finely diced apples or thick applesauce. Hope that helps :).
Nia H says
Love your recipe. I made this twice using your recipe and have gotten many compliments from friends (even non-Guyanese friends). Thank you for your easy to follow recipes
Alica says
Hi Nia,
Thanks for your comment, glad to hear that! It's a great way to use up ripe bananas.
Linda R. says
How many servings would this recipe yield?
Alica says
I would say 3-4. Hope this helps.
Anna Melinte says
Hi love your recipes! I made these..and they taste great! But they weren't fluffy..?? Once they came out of the oil they seemed to deflate.. any idea what may have gone wrong ?
Maricarmen says
I discovered your site searching for black cake , I love your recipes! I haven’t made any but they are already saved in my phone ha ha , my dad used to cook something similar to your frites that we called “fritas de banano” , without raisins . Thanks for all the delicious recipes you share!
Greetings from Honduras
Kamini Hagerman says
Perfect recipe!!! Just like mom's ?