Gateaux piments or Mauritian chilli bites are crunchy, flavoursome and utterly addictive fritters. It is impossible to stop at just one, or a few for that matter! Similar to a falafel or an Indian chana dal Vada, they consist of fried, split pea dhal balls. The fritters offer pops of spice from cumin, fennel, and chilli and bursts of freshness from coriander leaves and chives.
Gateaux piments is a highly popular street food in Mauritius. It is eaten as a snack dipped a spicy tomato and coriander salsa or the distinctive Mauritian way- in a buttered baguette. We shy away from any deep-frying; however, some things are worth the effort and indulgence. Gateaux piments is certainly one of those.
The first step in making gateaux piments involves soaking the split pea dhal overnight to soften the dhal. Then, the dhal is ground into a coarse paste without adding any extra water. Next add the chopped onions, spices and herbs. The last step involves forming the small balls and deep frying until a dark golden brown and crunchy. At our place, they disappear in a flash. Crunch… crunch, we cannot recommend them enough!
QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT GATEAUX PIMENTS
What if I can’t find yellow split pea dhal?
We have always used yellow split peas to make our gateaux piments. However, red lentils have been used successfully in making them.
Can I bake them?
Unfortunately not. We learnt the hard way that the texture of the baked yellow split peas does not work.
Does the gateaux piments keep well?
These are best fresh, and start to lose their crunchiness as they sit. In Mauritius, left-over gateaux piments are often eaten in a curry sauce (dish called cari-bari) or used in salads, where the loss of crunchiness is not an issue.
Gateaux Piments
Ingredients
- 75 g (dry weight) or around ⅓ cup split pea dhal, soaked overnight
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- handful (5-10 g) chives, finely chopped
- handful (5-10 g) coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 1 small chilli (optional)
- ⅓ tsp salt
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Rinse the yellow split peas and cover with cold water in a bowl. Allow to soak overnight.
- Drain the peas and pulse into a coarse paste in a food processor.
- Add the rest of the ingredients- finely chopped onions, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, chopped coriander and chopped chives, salt and chilli (if using).
- Mix thoroughly and press small scoops of the mixture in your hands to form small balls.
- Heat the vegetable oil into a deep, heavy-based saucepan. When the oil is hot, carefully drop one the balls in. It should sizzle vigorously but not brown too quickly. The gateaux piments should take a couple to minutes to get brown and crunchy.
- Fry 4-8 balls at a time depending on the size of your saucepan.
- Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and drain for a couple of minutes on a piece of kitchen paper.
- Eat when hot with some spicy salsa or if you are seeking the authentic Mauritian experience, in a buttered baguette.