Mung Guli (මුං ගුලි) is a traditional Sri Lankan confection that has graced New Year tables for generations. Small, round, and fried to a satisfying crunch on the outside while remaining tender within, these little balls carry the earthy sweetness of mung beans balanced by the deep caramel notes of treacle or jaggery. If you have ever tasted Kokis or Mung Kavum at a Sri Lankan New Year celebration, Mung Guli belongs to the same beloved family of festive sweets — though its compact round shape makes it a little easier to prepare at home.
What is Mung Guli and how does it differ from Mung Kavum?
Both Mung Guli and Mung Kavum share the same core ingredients — mung bean flour, rice flour, and a sweetener — but they are distinct in form. Mung Kavum is pressed into a diamond shape, while Mung Guli is rolled into a ball before being dipped in a coconut-milk batter and deep-fried. The round shape makes portioning straightforward and gives each piece a higher ratio of crunchy batter to filling, which many home cooks find more forgiving to prepare. Both sweets are traditionally prepared during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year in April, a time when households across the island fill their kitchens with the scent of frying oil and warm jaggery.
What are the ingredients for Mung Guli?
A single batch yields around 30 pieces and requires pantry staples that are widely available in Sri Lanka and in South Asian grocery stores elsewhere.
For the filling:
- 1½ cups mung bean flour
- ½ cup rice flour
- 3–4 tablespoons whole mung beans, dry-roasted and coarsely ground
- 2 cups treacle (or jaggery / palm sugar as an alternative)
- 1 tablespoon butter (optional, adds richness)
For the batter:
- ½ cup rice flour
- 1 cup thick coconut milk
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 egg (optional, produces a slightly crispier shell)
Oil is needed for deep frying. If treacle is unavailable, dissolve an equal volume of sliced jaggery in about one cup of water and simmer until it reaches a thick, syrupy consistency before using it in the recipe.
How do you make Mung Guli step by step?
Preparing the flour: If you are starting from raw mung beans and rice rather than pre-ground flour, soak both overnight, drain thoroughly, and grind to a fine powder. Separately, dry-roast a small quantity of whole mung beans until fragrant, then grind them coarsely so you retain small pieces — this coarse grind adds texture to the finished sweet. Combine the fine mung flour, rice flour, and coarse mung flour in a bowl and set aside.
Making the filling dough: Heat the treacle in a wide pan over medium heat until it just begins to boil. Gradually add the flour mixture, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. The goal is a pliable dough — firm enough to roll into balls without sticking to your hands. If the mixture feels too soft, incorporate a little more flour; if it stiffens too quickly, add another spoonful of treacle. Stir in the optional butter for extra gloss, then remove the pan from the heat. Allow the dough to cool until it is comfortable to handle, then pinch off small portions and roll each one between your palms into smooth balls roughly the size of a large marble.
Preparing the batter: Whisk the rice flour with the coconut milk, turmeric, and salt (and the optional egg) until you have a smooth, pourable batter with no dry lumps. The turmeric gives the fried shell its characteristic golden colour. The batter should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Deep frying: Pour enough oil into a deep pan to allow the balls to float freely, and heat it to a moderate temperature — around 170–180 °C if you have a thermometer, or until a small drop of batter sizzles and rises within a couple of seconds. Dip each ball into the batter to coat it evenly, then lower it gently into the oil. Fry in small batches to keep the oil temperature stable. Turn the balls occasionally until they are an even golden amber on all sides, then drain on a wire rack or absorbent paper. Avoid placing them directly in a sealed container while still warm, as trapped steam will soften the crust.
What texture and flavour should Mung Guli have?
A well-made Mung Guli has a thin, slightly crisp outer shell from the rice-flour batter, a colour somewhere between pale gold and deep amber depending on how long it fries, and a soft interior that gives way easily when you bite into it. The dominant flavour is the mild nuttiness of mung beans, rounded by the molasses-like depth of treacle or jaggery. The coarsely ground mung pieces inside add faint bursts of texture. The sweet is best eaten within a day or two of frying while the shell retains some of its crunch, though it keeps at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.
When and why is Mung Guli prepared in Sri Lanka?
Mung Guli is most closely associated with the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations held each April. According to tradition, specific auspicious times (nakath) govern when families light the hearth, when they eat the first meal, and when sweets are placed on the table. Mung Guli, along with Kavum, Kokis, and Aluwa, typically appears as part of the ceremonial New Year spread. Beyond April, these sweets are also prepared for temple offerings, family gatherings, and religious observances throughout the year, making them a useful recipe to have in any Sri Lankan household repertoire.
Tips for making Mung Guli successfully at home
- Flour consistency matters: Mung bean flour that is ground too coarse will produce a crumbly dough that is hard to roll; aim for a fine base flour with only the extra handful of coarsely ground beans for texture.
- Test the oil temperature: Oil that is too cool will cause the batter to absorb fat and turn greasy; oil that is too hot will brown the shell before the interior warms through. A moderate, steady heat gives the best results.
- Work in small batches: Adding too many balls to the pan at once drops the oil temperature sharply. Fry six to eight at a time for consistent colour.
- Adjust sweetness to taste: Treacle tends to be darker and more intensely flavoured than jaggery. If you prefer a milder sweetness, palm sugar is a good substitute and is widely available at local markets.
- Cool before storing: Allow the fried pieces to cool completely on a rack before transferring them to a container, so the shell firms up properly.
Where can I buy authentic Mung Guli in Sri Lanka?
Freshly made Mung Guli can be found at local bakeries and traditional sweet shops (called kades) in most Sri Lankan towns during the New Year season. Outside of April, availability is more limited and varies by region. Lakpura sources and packages Mung Guli so travellers and diaspora communities can enjoy this sweet beyond the festival season — both within Sri Lanka and as a take-home gift.
