Caribbean

Serving

Pholourie

Name: Pholourie
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup split pea flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp turmeric; 1 tsp ground cumin; 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 tsp salt; 3/4 cup warm water

Bite into these irresistible, deep-fried spiced split-pea dough balls that are delightfully crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The perfect savory snack to dunk in sweet and tangy chutney!

45 minutes

Serves 4

Snack

16 min prep

25 min cook

Contains common allergens

Wheat

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Good to know

One-pot
Crispy

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners crispy recipes

Instructions

5 steps

1
Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, split pea flour, baking powder, turmeric, cumin, and salt.
2
Create the batter: Add the minced garlic and gradually stir in the warm water. Mix vigorously until you have a smooth, thick, sticky batter.
3
Let it rest: Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let the batter rest for 30 minutes to allow the baking powder to activate and the flavors to meld.
4
Fry the pholourie: Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a deep pot to 350°F. Wet your fingers, scoop up a small amount of batter, and drop it into the hot oil (or use a small spoon).
5
Drain and serve: Fry for 2-3 minutes until puffed up, golden brown, and floating. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately with mango or tamarind chutney.

Pholourie — plated and served — Serving moment. How Pholourie looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

70/100

Good fit for most families

Allergen-friendly 90

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 54

Budget-friendly 72

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 66

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

180

Calories

5 g

Protein

37 g

Carbs

1 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Pholourie are spiced split-pea fritters brought to Trinidad and Guyana by indentured laborers from India, now a beloved street snack across the Indo-Caribbean. The turmeric-yellow dough balls are fried until puffed and almost always eaten with a tart tamarind or mango chutney that cuts their richness.

Listahan note

This version rests the batter for a full 30 minutes after mixing, which both activates the baking powder and melds the cumin and turmeric, giving fritters that puff light rather than dense.

Technique cues

Resting the batter lets the baking powder activate and the flavors bloom, which is what makes the pholourie puff and float rather than fry up heavy.
Frying at 350F lets the balls cook through and puff before the outside over-browns; hotter oil browns the surface while the center stays raw.
Wetting your fingers or spoon keeps the sticky batter from clinging so it drops cleanly into rounds in the oil.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Make the tamarind or mango chutney during the 30-minute batter rest so it is ready when the fritters come out.
Make-ahead: The batter can be mixed and rested up to a couple of hours ahead; fry just before serving for the best puff.
Leftover move: Re-crisp leftover pholourie in a hot oven or air fryer and serve with fresh chutney as a snack.
Cleanup rhythm: Drain the fritters on paper towels straight from the oil and let the frying oil cool before discarding.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

1/2 cup split pea flour

Signature base

Purpose: Split pea flour gives pholourie its earthy, savory character and the texture that sets it apart from a plain fritter.

Handling: Whisk it thoroughly with the other dry ingredients so it hydrates evenly.

Adaptation: Chickpea (gram) flour is the closest substitute with a similar legume flavor.

1 cup all-purpose flour

Structure

Purpose: All-purpose flour gives the batter body and the light puff when it hits the oil.

Handling: Whisk with the leavening and spices before adding water.

Adaptation: A gluten-free blend works, though the puff will be slightly less pronounced.

1 tsp turmeric

Color and warm spice

Purpose: Turmeric gives pholourie its signature golden-yellow interior and earthy warmth.

Handling: Whisk it into the dry mix so the color distributes evenly.

Adaptation: There is no clean substitute for the color; a pinch of curry powder adds color and flavor together.

1 tsp ground cumin

Aromatic spice

Purpose: Cumin is the warm, savory note that defines the fritter's flavor.

Handling: Add it to the dry ingredients so it toasts slightly as the fritters fry.

Adaptation: Whole cumin seeds, lightly crushed, give a more pronounced aroma.

2 cloves garlic (minced)

Aromatic anchor

Purpose: Garlic brings the savory backbone that keeps the fritters from tasting flat.

Handling: Mince it fine so it distributes through the batter evenly.

Adaptation: A quarter teaspoon of garlic powder works if fresh is unavailable.

Technique notes

Test one fritter first; if it sinks and stays dense, the batter is too thick, so loosen it with a splash of water.
Keep the oil steady at 350F by frying in small batches so the temperature does not crash and leave them greasy.
Drop the batter in small spoonfuls; oversized balls brown outside before the center cooks through.

Ingredient swaps

Gluten-free direction: Replace the all-purpose flour with chickpea flour or a gluten-free blend; the split pea base keeps the flavor intact.
Lower-sodium direction: Cut the salt in the batter and lean on the cumin, turmeric, and garlic, then salt the chutney instead.
Lighter direction: These are best deep-fried, but a hot air fryer gives a leaner, less puffed version.

Serve alongside

Tamarind chutney
Mango chutney
Mother-in-law pickle
Cucumber chow
Mauby
Sorrel drink
Ginger beer

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate cooled pholourie in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
Re-crisp in a hot oven or air fryer rather than the microwave, which leaves them soft.
Freeze fried pholourie for up to 1 month; reheat straight from frozen in a hot oven.

Equipment

Mixing bowl and whisk
Deep pot for frying
Frying thermometer
Slotted spoon

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