Pholourie Spiced Split Pea Fritters with Tamarind Sauce

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-07-04 · Updated 2026-07-04

Golden fried split pea fritters seasoned with warm Caribbean spices, served with tangy tamarind dipping sauce for a traditional Trinidadian snack. This Caribbean-inspired recipe (vegetarian), ready in about 35 minutes, turns yellow split peas, soaked overnight, all-purpose flour, baking powder into a satisfying snack for between meals, packed lunches, or game-day spreads — minimal active time and easy to scale up for a crowd. Each serving lands at about 180 calories and feeds 6, so it fits into lunchboxes, road trips, or an afternoon-energy gap without derailing the day. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 cup yellow split peas, soaked overnight
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 stalks scallions, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup water
• for deep frying vegetable oil for frying
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water (for sauce)
• 1/4 cup hot water (to dissolve tamarind)

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Instructions

1. Step 1: Drain 1 cup yellow split peas soaked overnight and pulse in a food processor until coarsely ground but not pureed.
2. Step 2: In a large bowl, combine the ground split peas with 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp toasted ground cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 2 minced garlic cloves, 3 chopped scallions, 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, and 1 tsp salt.
3. Step 3: Gradually add 1/2 cup water and mix to form a thick batter that holds shape but is still spoonable.
4. Step 4: Heat vegetable oil in a deep pot to 350°F for frying.
5. Step 5: Use a spoon to drop small mounds of batter into the hot oil, frying in batches for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and crisp on all sides.
6. Step 6: Drain fritters on paper towels.
7. Step 7: Meanwhile, prepare tamarind sauce by dissolving 2 tbsp tamarind paste in 1/4 cup hot water, stirring in 1/2 cup cool water and 1 tbsp brown sugar; simmer gently for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
8. Step 8: Serve the warm pholourie fritters with the tangy tamarind dipping sauce.