Gato piman

Ingredients

Split peas

• 400 gyellow split peas
• water, for soaking

Flavourings

• 4chillies, finely chopped
• or 2 teaspoons chilli powder
• 5spring onions, finely sliced
• a large handful of coriander, chopped
• 5garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 teaspoonground cumin
• 1 teaspoonground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoonbicarbonate of soda
• 2 teaspoonssalt
• 1 teaspoonblack pepper

To fry

• oil, for deep frying

To serve

• soft bread rolls
• chutney or chilli sauce
• butter, for the rolls

Directions

1. Rinse the split peas in cold water. Cover them with plenty of cold water. Soak them for at least four hours. They swell to about twice their size. Squeeze a soaked pea between your fingers. It should crush easily into a paste.
2. Drain them thoroughly in a colander. Let them sit and drip for ten minutes. Shake off as much water as you can. Wet peas grind into a runny paste. Put the drained peas in a food processor. Grind them with as little water as possible.
3. Add a tablespoon only if it will not move. Stop and scrape the sides down often. Tip the ground paste into a bowl. Add the finely chopped chillies. Add the spring onion and coriander. Add the crushed garlic to the bowl. Add the cumin and the turmeric. Add the salt and black pepper.
4. Mix it all through thoroughly. It reacts in the hot oil and puffs them. Use very little, since too much tastes soapy. Beat the mixture hard with a spoon. Give it a good three full minutes.
5. Add the bicarbonate at the very end. Fry them soon after adding it. Frying them needs the right heat. Pour oil into a deep pan to eight centimetres. Never fill a pan more than halfway with oil. Heat the oil to about 175C for frying. A pinch of paste should sizzle up at once.
6. Roll small balls between your palms. Aim for about the size of a walnut. Drop them carefully into the oil. Cooking them takes a few minutes. Fry them for about four minutes. They should float and turn as they cook. Turn over any that do not do so. They should be deep golden all over. Break one open from the first batch. The inside should be cooked right through.
7. Lift them out onto a wire rack. A rack keeps them crisp all round. Scatter a little salt over them while hot. Serving them is done immediately. Add chutney or chilli sauce in too. Press the whole roll firmly closed. They are best within the first hour.

Technique

• The split peas are soaked but never cooked, then ground raw, because raw pea starch sets firm in the oil to give a crisp shell and dry crumbly inside, while cooked pea starch has already gelatinised and goes to paste.
• Under-soaked peas grind gritty and the fritters then taste raw and sandy, so a soaked pea should crush easily between the fingers with no hard centre.
• They are most often eaten three or four to a buttered bread roll with chutney, which is standard morning food in Victoria.

Substitutions

• The Mauritian gateau piment is essentially the same fritter under another name.
• Chilli powder stands in for fresh chillies.

Variations

• Some cooks leave out the bicarbonate of soda entirely.
• A version with more coriander and less chilli is also made.
• Similar split pea fritters are fried across the Indian Ocean islands.

History

Sold at Victoria market stalls in the morning, eaten pushed into a bread roll with chutney.

Frequently asked questions

What is Gato piman?

Gato piman is a street food from Seychelles: fried balls of ground split peas spiced with chilli and herbs. Sold at Victoria market stalls in the morning, eaten pushed into a bread roll with chutney.

How long does Gato piman take to make?

Gato piman takes 20 minutes plus soaking of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 30 balls. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Gato piman?

Yes, within limits. The Mauritian gateau piment is essentially the same fritter under another name. Chilli powder stands in for fresh chillies.

What is the most important thing to get right in Gato piman?

Add the bicarbonate at the very end. Fry them soon after adding it. Frying them needs the right heat. Pour oil into a deep pan to eight centimetres. Never fill a pan more than halfway with oil. Heat the oil to about 175C for frying. A pinch of paste should sizzle up at once.