In Trinidad and Tobago, Kachourie is a fried patty made with ground split peas and channa (chickpeas). It is served with various chutneys and pepper sauce for those who like spicy. The taste and texture reminds me of falafel which also uses ground channa (chickpeas), however Kachourie has it’s origins in India.
My recipe below makes use of my pholourie mix and pre-cooked channa so it is ready in quick time.
This is a great snack or appetizer to share with a group of friends or family
Ingredients
1 cup MGFK pholourie mix
1 cup minced channa (chickpeas)
pinch of salt (to taste)
1 tsp baking powder
¼ cup cornflour (optional)
handful of seasoning garlic, onion, pimientos and chadon beni (culantro)
¼ cup water (add more by tablespoon)
oil for frying
Notes
The pholourie mix already has split peas, turmeric, baking powder and salt. As you add the channa (chick peas) to the mix, you may need a little more salt and baking powder
This recipe uses canned channa but you can use dry channa. Soak the channa overnight to soften and grind when ready
I ground my channa in a mini chopper so that the “meal” would be somewhat chunky
The cornflour (cornmeal not corn starch) adds a nice texture and helps the kachourie to brown nicely. It is optional
While you are frying you can always adjust the seasonings, salt and baking powder if necessary
Directions
To the pholourie mix add the minced channa, salt, baking powder, cornflour and seasoning. Mix well to combine
Add the water, stirring to form a thick batter. The batter will be sticky but you should be able to pick it up and shape it (usually wet hands help). Add more water by tablespoon if needed
Set the batter aside to rest for 15-30 mins. You can skip this if you wish
Before the end of the rest period, heat up a skillet with enough oil for deep frying. The oil must be at a steady medium heat before frying. If you begin to fry and the oil does not bubble it is not hot enough
Once the oil is ready scoop out some of the batter and shape to form a circular patty, 2"-3" in size or whatever you prefer. Working with wet hands or on a lightly floured surface helps. If a consistent shape is not important to you, simply scoop and drop the batter into the oil. In either case less than 1/2” thickness is ideal so the patty can cook all the way through. Fry on each side until medium to dark golden brown. The kachourie will “float” when it’s cooked. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels
Serve at once with your preferred chutney
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