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Kachourie
Split pea and spinach fritters
Kachourie: Trinidad's split-pea and spinach fritters with garlic and hot pepper
At Divali nagars and Phagwah gatherings in Trinidad, the food tents sell paper bags of kachourie with a squirt of tamarind or mango chutney. They are made from yellow split peas soaked overnight and ground coarse with garlic, hot pepper and geera (cumin), then mixed with chopped spinach or bhaji leaves and spooned into hot oil, giving a craggy outside and a soft, savoury middle. They are naturally vegan and, without baking powder, gluten-free. Common mistake: adding water while grinding, which gives a runny batter that soaks up oil; grind in short bursts with only a spoon or two of water, and the fritters are done when they are deep golden and sound hollow when tapped. Chef's tip: beat the ground batter with a spoon for a minute to whip in air, which makes them lighter.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the batter
- 9 oz yellow split peassoaked overnight
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ hot pepper (scotch bonnet)seeded
- 1 tsp ground cumin (geera)
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 ⅛ oz spinach or bhaji leavesfinely chopped
- 2 tbsp wateronly if needed
For frying
- 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain 9 oz yellow split peas very well. Pulse in a food processor with 4 cloves garlic and ½ hot pepper (scotch bonnet), adding 2 tbsp water only if the blade sticks, until coarse like wet couscous.
5 minStep 2: Tip into a bowl, add 1 tsp ground cumin (geera), ½ tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp salt and 2 ⅛ oz spinach or bhaji leaves and beat with a spoon for 1 minute until slightly fluffy.
3 minStep 3: Heat 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil to 350°F, until a drop of batter rises at once.
6 minStep 4: Drop in heaped teaspoons of batter, 6–8 at a time, and fry for 3–4 minutes, turning, until deep golden and crisp.
18 minStep 5: Drain on paper and serve hot with tamarind or mango chutney.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kachourie take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of ground cumin (geera)?
- Cumin seeds, toasted and ground.
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