Gateaux Piments
Gateaux piments are crunchy, addictive fritters. They have pops of spice from cumin and fennel and bursts of freshness from herbs.
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.