Pholourie
Fluffy split pea flour fritters spiced with turmeric and cumin, served piping hot with a tangy tamarind chutney.
Photo : Grueslayer · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
Method
- Mix the split pea flour, yeast, turmeric, cumin, garlic and salt in a large bowl.
- Whisk in the warm water a little at a time until you have a thick batter that drops slowly from the spoon.
- Cover with a cloth and leave to rise for 1 hour somewhere warm; the batter should bubble and puff slightly.
- Meanwhile, loosen the tamarind pulp in 150 ml hot water, strain it, then simmer with the sugar and chilli for 5 minutes until syrupy.
- Heat the oil to 170°C. Scoop up spoonfuls of batter and slide them in; they should surface at once and swell into balls.
- Fry in small batches for 3 to 4 minutes, turning, until evenly golden, then drain on kitchen paper.
- Serve immediately, still steaming, with the tamarind chutney for dipping.
Sold on every street corner in Trinidad and Tobago, pholourie owe their lightness to the rising time: a rushed batter gives dense balls. Frying in small batches keeps the oil temperature from crashing.
