These chilli dhal fritters – known as ‘gateaux piments’ – are one of the most popular street food snacks in Mauritius.
Selina Periampillai’s cookbook includes a recipe for a green chilli chutney that makes perfect dunking material for these little fried balls. Or do as the locals do and chuck them generously into a crusty baguette.
Chilli dhal fritters
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Food processor
- Large mixing bowl
- Heavy-based saucepan (or deep fat fryer)
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 200 g yellow split peas
- 3 spring onions finely chopped
- 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
- 3 green chillies finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 l vegetable oil for deep frying
Method
- Place the yellow split peas in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Leave to sit overnight and soak.
- The peas should have puffed up slightly and the water reduced by the next morning. Drain them well and tip into a food processor. Blitz until the peas are a coarse paste and clump together. Tip the crushed peas into a large mixing bowl and add all the other ingredients apart from the oil. Combine well with a spoon.
- Take a tablespoon of the mixture in your hands and, pressing firmly, form into a ball shape (about the size of a golf ball). Each will weigh around 25g and you should get 25 balls. Repeat with the remaining mixture and place them all on a plate ready to be fried.
- Pour the vegetable oil into a deep, heavy-based saucepan or deep fat fryer and heat to 180°C. You can tell when the oil is the right temperature by dropping a small cube of bread into the oil. If it browns evenly in 30 seconds then it is ready. When the oil is hot enough, carefully drop in the balls (about four or five at a time, to prevent overcrowding in the pan).
- The fritters should sizzle in the oil. Using a fork or a slotted spoon gently move them around so they colour evenly. It will take a couple of minutes until they are golden brown and cooked throughout. If they brown too quickly, reduce the heat slightly to make sure they cook inside.
- Drain on a wire rack with kitchen paper underneath to catch any excess oil. Serve with coriander green chilli chutney or crushed into a crusty white baguette.
Nutrition
The Island Kitchen: Recipes From Mauritius And The Indian Ocean by Selina Periampillai is published by Bloomsbury.
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