Mauritian snacks don’t get much more famous than Gato Pima. In fact, it is one Mauritian recipe that has followed migrants and expats to four corners of the world. Read on to learn how to easily make your own.
9 ingredients | 8 steps | 4 hrs
Why You Need This Recipe
- This easy recipe uses ingredients that you can easily source from your local supermarket or grocery store
- By making your own, you can control how much oil, salt and chilli you use
- Our recipe is suitable for vegetarians and vegans
About Gato Pima
Gato Pima is the ultimate bite-sized Mauritian snack. This deep-fried split pea gajak is one of the nation’s favourite tea time snacks. Also known as Gateaux Piments, these “chilli cakes” do not actually always contain chilli. And there are so many ways that you can enjoy this vegetarian delight. But we’ll get back to that later.
What You Will Need
Blender/ Food Processer
You can use any standard food processor or mixer to grind the soaked split peas until they are the size of a grain of sand. If you don’t have a blender, you can crush the peas using a mortar and pestle.
Star Ingredient
Yellow Split Peas (dal)
Split peas are a very popular type of pulse in Mauritius and India. The locals in both countries often refer to this pea by the name of dal or dholl. They are made by drying, peeling and splitting in half the seeds of Pisum sativum. When harvested, the peas are spherical with an outer skin. Once dried, the skin is removed and each pea is either split by hand or by machine.
You can get green and yellow varieties of split peas. For this recipe, you will want the yellow variety. Overall, these peas are very high in protein and low in fat. Due to this, they are a great source of protein for people following a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Scroll to the bottom to find the full list of ingredients and detailed recipe.
Prepping Tips
Soaking the peas in cold water is an essential step in this recipe. I wouldn’t recommend attempting to make Gato Pima if you don’t have the time for this step. Furthermore, you have to use cold water because you don’t want to cook the split peas yet.
Complete Recipe Steps
Here’s a summary of the steps you need to follow to make Gato Pima.
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Scroll to the bottom for the printable recipe card
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Add the chilli, spring onion, coriander, brown onion, baking powder and ground cumin to the yellow split peas and mix thoroughly. Season with a pinch of salt.
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How to Serve Gato Pima
Gato Pima is the ultimate finger food at tea time. Serve with a cup of hot tea or coffee. Moreover, a lot of Mauritians enjoy eating them in a warm soft baguette spread with butter.
Finally, you can serve Gato Pima as a side dish or starter for any meal during the day. Yes, that includes breakfast!
Recipe FAQs
Can I use green split peas to make Gato Pima?
No, this recipe will only work with yellow split peas. The texture and flavour of the green variety is very different.
I don’t have time to soak the split peas. Can I still make this recipe?
I would strongly recommend that you wait until you have the required time for soaking. This is an essential step in making Gato Pima.
Can I make Gato Pima without chillies?
While the traditional recipe uses green chillies, you can skip this ingredient if you’re not keen on the heat.
Do I need to deep fry them?
Yes, you will only achieve a uniform texture and crunch by deep frying. If you’re concerned about the oil content, you can dry all of your Gato Pimas on paper towels once they are fried.
Can I freeze the Gato Pima mix?
Yes, you can definitely freeze the mix. Just make sure that it is completely thawed before cooking. Having said that, I wouldn’t recommend freezing Gato Pima that has already been fried.
Printable Recipe Card
Gato Pima
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 250 g yellow split peas
- 2 green chillies finely chopped
- 2 tbsp spring onions finely chopped
- 2 tbsp coriander finely chopped
- 1 brown onion diced
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cumin ground (also known as ti lani)
- 1 pinch salt
- rice bran oil for frying
Complete Recipe Steps
- Wash and allow the yellow split peas to soak in cold water for at least 3 hours.250 g yellow split peas
- Drain the split peas, then using a blender, mash the yellow split peas until they are the size of large grains of sand.
- Add the chilli, spring onion, coriander, brown onion, baking powder and ground cumin to the yellow split peas and mix thoroughly. Season with a pinch of salt.2 green chillies, 2 tbsp spring onions, 2 tbsp coriander, 1 brown onion, ¼ tsp baking powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 pinch salt
- Make little balls with the Gato Pima mix, flattening ever so lightly.
- Heat up the vegetable oil in a pan for deep frying. When you notice little bubbles forming in the oil, gently add the Gato Pima and deep fry on a low-medium heat.rice bran oil
- Turn the Gato Pima when the outside of the balls become a golden-brown colour.
- When ready, remove the Gato Pima from the oil and allow the oil to drain on a paper towel lined plate.
- Enjoy hot as a snack, entrée or in a buttered baguette.
Very famous Mauritian snack be it at breakfast, lunch or teatime.
I love the process descriptions.