Jamaican Spinners Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are Jamaican dumplings made of? ›

The dumplings are typically made of all-purpose flour, though sometimes cornmeal is added. Shaping them is a fun and quick project that kids can take part in too.

The dumplings will float to the top of the broth, even though at first they may plop under the broth.

If you want to add butter, see the notes in the recipe card below. You can do without the baking powder when you use self-raising flour for the Jamaican fried dumplings recipe.

Dumplings are made from a simple dough consisting of all-purpose flour, water, and salt. The shaped dumplings are either fried in a pan until golden brown or boiled in a soup.

Seventh Day Adventists and some other Sabbath keepers don't eat it. They say it is forbidden by God, which they say is in the Bible. Rastafarians also have this belief. Some ministers of religion interpret it that because the law is in the Old Testament it is meant only for Jews so therefore Christians can eat it.

The second secret to making really good dumplings is to keep the lid closed while the dumplings cook. With the soup simmering over a low flame and the dumpling dough ready, you'll drop spoonfuls of the dough onto the surface of the simmering broth, then cover the pot with a lid.

Cover and bring to a vigorous boil. Add roughly one cup of cold water and return to boil while covered. Repeat this step again. The dumplings will be completely cooked and ready when they float on the surface of the boiling water.

Whether you make your dumplings fresh or get them frozen, you can cook them quickly by boiling them. Raw dumplings are often boiled in water, but southern drop dumplings can be simmered in stock or broth for additional flavor. Chinese dumplings can also be boiled briefly in a pan to become potstickers.

This is a very common problem when pan frying dumplings, and most likely it is because your pan isn't hot enough. The easiest trick would be to buy a nonstick pan, but for those who don't want to spend the money, try out this test. To make sure your pan is at the correct temperature, try the water droplet test.

Notes. I use baking soda instead of baking powder because it has less detrimental ingredients, but you can use either.

Why are my fried dumplings falling apart? ›

Homemade dumplings can fall apart for a number of different reasons, or any combination of them. Often they burst during cooking because they have too much filling for the amount of dough. Some doughs are too dry, so the dumplings won't stay sealed. Others can be too wet and sticky and end up tearing.

Dumplings are most commonly formed from flour or meal bound with egg and then simmered in water or gravy stock until they take on a light cakey texture. Many recipes call for herbs, onions, grated cheese, or chopped meat to be rolled into the dough before cooking.

Stir together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in milk and mix until a batter forms that is thick enough to be scooped with a spoon.

Fried dumplings have their origins in Jamaican colonization and slavery, where workers would pack fried biscuits to take with them on long journeys. Sometimes called “journey cake” or “Johnny Cake”, today's islanders often enjoy fried dumplings with other breakfast dishes like ackee and saltfish, callaloo, or kidney.

These traditional Caribbean dumplings are essentially golden balls of dough, deep-fried to crispy perfection. Made with just flour, baking powder, butter, water, and a pinch of salt, they're simple yet oh-so-satisfying.