pholourie

Here’s another one of those spicy condiments I grew up enjoying with many of the street food sold outside the gates of my secondary school in San Fernando, Trinidad at recess and lunch time. Usually used as a dipping sauce for Pholourie and Saheena… and as a topping for doubles and aloo pies. But I think we most enjoyed it on it’s own, as a thick savory sauce when our taste buds craved something exciting (especially when we didn’t have enough money for the pholourie). You’ll find that I did stray a bit from the traditional type recipes, however you’ll enjoy the subtle complex flavors.

You’ll Need…

12-14 tamarinds
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper diced
1/2 onion diced
2 scallions diced
2 tablespoon chopped shado beni (or cilantro)
1/2 teaspoon salt (see note below)
2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 cloves garlic (diced or crushed)
2 1/2 cups water + 1 cup
1/2 lime (juice)

Note – depending on how tart (sour) your tamarind is you may need a bit more salt and brown sugar. If tamarind pulp (solid block, not the liquid) is available in your grocery store, it will save you having to remove the shell/seeds (would have already been removed).

Important! If doing this recipe according to a gluten free diet, be sure to go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary requirements.

Crack the shell of the tamarinds and remove the pulp. Discard the shell and stringy bits, and get ready to cook. It will be sticky on your fingers.

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add the pulp, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool, so you can safely handle it.

As it simmers, prep you other ingredients (chop finely or puree).

With the boiled tamarind pulp cool, it’s now time to use your hand/fingers and remove the hard seeds on the inside (discard).

Place the pot back on a medium flame and add another cup of water – bring to a boil.

Now go in with all the other ingredients and after it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for another 20 minutes.

At this point all the flavors should have combined nicely, so it’s time to use a blender or stick blender to puree it into a sauce (with texture). Or you can add a bit more water and allow it to cook longer until everything breakdown into the sauce consistency you like. Be sure to taste for salt and sugar and adjust accordingly as some tamarind can be a bit more tart than others. Tamarind chutney is supposed to be the perfect balance between tart, sweet and spicy!

You can place it in a glass container and store in the fridge for at least 1 week.

Seafood

Tasty Shrimp Pholourie.

May 28, 2025January 7, 2016Leave a Comment

I’ve had a weakness for these delightful fried dough balls served with spicy chutney, ever since my school days. I’d guess that at least 50% of my weekly allowance went directly to the vendors outside our school compound, selling pholourie and other popular street foods in San Fernando (Trinidad). There was one spot where they sold them straight from the fryer dripping in hot grease, but the lines were always longest there. Would explain why as soon as the recess or lunch bell would go off, it was like an Olympic 100 meter dash to get out the gates and at the front of the line. I dare Usain Bolt to get in our way or try to outrun us.

This recipe is somewhat of a hybrid of the traditional way of making pholourie as we’ll use store bought mix and then add something totally unique to it – SHRIMP!

You’ll Need…

1 package pholourie mix
3/4 lb shrimp
pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Caribbean green seasoning.
veg oil for frying (about 2 cups)

Learn how to make the Caribbean green seasoning with this video tutorial << CLICK!

Notes: I found the pholourie mix at an Asian grocery store here in Canada.. try West Indian stores as they will usually be the place you’ll find it. If you click on Recipe Index at the top you’ll find a recipe for this (without the shrimp) done the traditional way.

Clean and devein the shrimp. Try to leave a little of the tail still intact as you can use it to hold the shrimp to dip into the batter. Then using a sharp pairing knife make some cuts (across) the inner curve of the shrimp so they become somewhat straight/flat and cook faster.

Place the prepped shrimp in a bowl and season with the Caribbean green seasoning, salt and black pepper and allow to marinate for 5-10 minutes.

As the vegetable oil heats in a deep pot, mix the batter according to the package instructions. In my case I added about 2-3 tablespoons more water as you need the batter a bit thin to coat the shrimp. Should be a bit like pancake batter (a little thicker).

Oil on medium flame, dip the shrimp into the batter holding them by the tail and place gently into the hot oil. Don’t allow them to make contact with each other (or they will stick) and don’t overcrowd the pan. Fry (flip) for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown.

Do them in batches and place the ones fully cooked onto paper towels to absorb some of the excess oil. Serve warm with mango, cucumber or Tamarind chutney.

Not the traditional way of making pholourie as it’s done in Trinidad and Tobago, but this version with the shrimp is becoming a huge hit as bar food and to be quite honest. I didn’t even know about it until I was included in a conversation on Twitter.

Sauces & Condiments Vegetarian

Quickest Pholourie Recipe Ever.

May 28, 2025November 21, 20151 Comment

Pholouire is one of those popular vegetarian street foods you’ll find being sold throughout Trinidad and Tobago, alongside “Doubles” and Aloo Pies. Usually served hot out of the fryer, with a side of spicy chutney (Mango | Mango chutney, Tamarind sauce, Coconut or Cucumber) and relatively cheap. This recipe is a sort of hack version (save you time), showing how you can use a pre-packaged mix with great results. If you’re looking for a ‘from scratch’ recipe for making pholouire, click on Recipe Index at the top of this page.

You’ll Need…

1 package of pholourie mix
1 scallion (green parts only)
1 tablespoon shado beni (culantro) or cilantro will work
1/2 small scotch bonnet pepper (optional) no seeds.

* 2-3 cups veg oil for frying.

* I like using a green scotch bonnet pepper (not fully developed) as you get a lovely flavor and a milder heat level.

Click here >> Tamarind Sauce for the demo video showing how to make the Tamarind Sauce to serve this with.

Basically all you’re doing is following the method according to the package instructions. To enhance things I added the other ingredients mentioned in the list above (finely chopped). You can leave out the scotch bonnet pepper if you wish as the Tamarind sauce will have a bit of heat to it.

In my case I believe the package asked that I allow it to rest for a couple minutes before frying, so during this time I heated my veg oil in a deep pan on a med/high heat. You have two options when it comes to forming the small dough balls for frying. 1 – you can use a teaspoon to scoop out and add to the heated oil or 2 – you can use your fingers to pinch off bits and add to the hot oil. I oiled my fingers (so the dough would not stick to it) and pinched off a teaspoon size bit and added it to my hot oil. There is a traditional way of placing the dough in your hands and squeezing the right amount between your fingers – sadly I don’t make pholouire often so I never perfected that technique.

Fry for about 4-5 minutes until they puff -up and go golden in colour. Set on paper towels to soak up the extra oil and serve warm.

I know there will be questions about which “mix” to use.. since I don’t get any sort of backing by these companies I’ll prefer not to endorse any. However if you go to your fav Caribbean / West Indian store there should be a couple options for you to choose from. Just personalize it a bit as we did and follow the instructions on the package and you should be fine. The funny thing is I got this mix at a Chinese grocery store.

Sauces & Condiments Vegetarian

A Tantalizing Tamarind Sauce.

May 28, 2025July 12, 201142 Comments

tamarind sauce

After posting the tambran (tamarind) ball recipe a couple days ago (sweet spicy sour tambran balls) , I realize that I still had some tamarind left back so I decided to share this recipe with you guys. Originally when I told my mom I purchased some tamarind in a box at the Asian store, she jokingly said “buh son, dais not the real thing” (gosh trinbago accent sweet eh!). So she got my dad to go out and get some of the ‘real thing” for me and sent it down with my sister (they live in Toronto and I’m in Hamilton). Sure enough it was the “tart” or sour type of tamarind we’re accustomed too in the Caribbean, but already out of the hard shell-like exterior.

This tamarind sauce is used primarily as a condiment or topping for such things as saheena, aloo pie, pholourie and doubles. But I also recall (back to my school days again) a thicker version, with a sort of amchar massala undertone that was a hit with the kids at my primary school. Maybe I’ll post that recipe the next time I get some of the ‘real’ tamarind.

You’ll Need…

200 grams tamarind pulp (about 7 oz)
3 cloves garlic
1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper
1 1/2 – 2 tablespoon brown sugar
2-3 leaves shado beni
1 1/2 cup water

* add some salt and extra sugar if you find that the finished sauce is overly tart.

Before I go further I must let you know that there are 2 variations of this recipe. The first being the way I’ll show you below, where I’ll simmer the sauce on the stove for 10-15 minutes. The 2nd method you’ll use the same ingredients, except no cooking is involved. You simply add everything to a blender and give it a good pulse. I like to cooked version better as I find that the pungent ingredients like the shado bein and garlic is infused within the sauce and has a much milder after-taste.

The first step is to crush the pepper, garlic and shando beni into a sort of chunky paste. I give those things a rough chop and work it well in my mortar and pestle.

tambran sauce

tambran sauce (2)

tambran sauce (3)

BTW, you’ll notice that my shado beni looks a bit starving… I’m just thankful I could get fresh shado beni here, so I’m not complaining. The next step is place the tamarind paste into a sauce pan with 1 1/2 cups water. Now using your fingers, (if you didn’t get seedless), work the pulp away from the seeds and try to crush the flesh between your fingers. It will get a bit messy so you can wear disposable gloves if you wish.

Now remove the seeds and discard. Place the saucepan on medium heat, add the sugar (pinch of salt) and the crushed pepper/garlic/shado beni to the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Now turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and with the pot closed, allow to cook for about 10 to 15 minutes.

tambran sauce (4)

tambran sauce (5)

tambran sauce (6)

tambran sauce (7)

Stir every 2-3 minutes and if you find that it’s getting really thick, add a bit more water. You’re looking for a sort of thick tomato soup consistency (a little thinner than ketchup). Allow to cool before serving as the taste when it’s hot is totally different than when it’s cool. If when you taste it you find that it’s more tart (sour) than anything else, add a bit more sugar. It should be the perfect balance of tart, savory and spicy.

tambran sauce (8)

This tambran sauce rocks when you dip some saheena, aloo pie or pholourie into it!

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

I almost forgot. I’m not sure how many of you saw the message I posted on Facebook, but I mentioned that if you’d like to post any cooking/food related questions to a certified chef, who’s traveled all over the world doing his culinary thing.. now is the time to do so. A couple weeks back we met with the Rhyming Chef (Philman George) for coffee and during that meeting he agreed to take time from his hectic schedule to answer any questions you guys may have. All you have to do is leave the questions in the comment section below and I’ll send them off to him. I’ll then post the answers on the website for everyone to participate in the discussion.

You can learn more about The Rhyming Chef at his site http://www.therhymingchef.com/ A super cool ‘soldier’ with a massive passion for the culinary culture and history of the Caribbean, especially his home island of Barbuda.

I urge you to post your questions below and do check out Philman’s website for some amazing tips and cooking videos.

Vegetarian

A Typical Trinbagonian Pholourie Recipe.

March 5, 2012September 1, 200956 Comments

trini pholourie recipe It’s funny how things always seem to get in the way to prevent you from doing things you plan. A few days back when I posted the recipe for mango chutney, I had planned on making a batch of pholourie to accompany the chutney. Afterall they’re like peas in a pod… they go together. Looking back I can’t recall what my excuse is/was for not doing as I planned, but all is not lost as I have the pholouire recipe ready for you below.

A quick call to my mom and I had a recipe waiting to be explored. However she mentioned that there are several versions of this recipe and it’s all about personal taste. Personally she uses yeast in her’s and very little ground split peas, but I didn’t. I was also told that some people usually put a dash of curry powder in the dough. Again I didn’t, but my final product could easily rival any that you’ve ever tasted before. Trust meh!

You’ll need…

1 cup ground split peas
1 teaspoon crushed garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 hot pepper (crushed) – optional but it does add a nice kick to things.
1 1/3 cups water
oil for deep frying

This is so simply you’ll be left asking yourself why did it ever take me so long to make this.

I started off by placing the 2 cloves of garlic, salt and the piece of hot pepper (I used habanero) into my mortar and using the pestle I created a smooth paste. You’ll notice I placed the salt in this, rather than directly into the batter. the roughness of the salt works great to help crush the pepper and garlic into the required paste.

phpirWDKTAM

trinidad pholourie

Let’s now prepare the batter. In a large bowl place the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, split peas powder and turmeric) and whisk together. I like doing this so I can incorporate everything before we add the water. After whisking, I then add the crushed garlic/salt/pepper mixture and water. Mix thoroughly to form a lump-free batter and allow to sit for about 30 minutes (feel free to use immediately if you’re in a rush).

trini fry pholourie

pholourie trini

pholourie mixture

In a fairly deep frying pan put enough oil to deep fry (about 4 cups or more) and heat on med to high. TIP! While the oil heats get a basket or bowl and line with a couple paper towels to place the cooked pholourie to absorb the excess oil from frying. Also get a long handle tongs to help avoid getting burned from any splatter.

When the oil is hot, using 2 table spoons scoop a tablespoon of batter and place into the hot oil. Use the second spoon to scrape the batter off the original spoon. Don’t worry if the first batch turns out a bit deformed in shape, you’ll quickly get the hang of it. You’ll notice that it will easily double in size as it cooks. Using a fork, flip them over so each side gets to cook evenly. You’re looking for a golden brown colour and the pholourie will start floating as an indication that the center is fully cooked. Remove from the oil and place on the paper towels.

pholourie chutney

how to make pholourie

pholourie and chutney recipe

guyana pholourie

fried pholourie

pholourie recipe

Don’t forget to get the mango chutney recipe I posted a few days back to compliment this tasty snack and do let me know if you encountered any snags or have any questions by leaving me a comment in the area provided below. BTW, if you’d like to make this a bit lighter (less dense) and would like to explore the recipe with yeast, let me know and I’ll share that recipe with you.

One final comment… this batter makes about 20-25 pholouire depending how big you make them. Happy cooking!

Sauces & Condiments Vegetarian

A simple mango chutney for pholourie.

May 28, 2025August 29, 200935 Comments

mango chutney for doubles I’ve been having a serious craving lately for some hot-from-the fryer-pholourie, the kind that you get when you’re invited to Divali celebrations at your friend’s home (the multiculturalism on the islands is amazing). How I miss those days! There I was strolling through the grocery this morning when I saw some green mangoes (not the ones that look green, but soft to the touch as if they’re already ripe) and immediately thoughts of a spicy mango chutney to go with the pholourie I’ve been craving came to mind. Since I’m a bit pressed for time I couldn’t make the pholourie today, but before the mango goes soft and mushy (forced ripe) I thought I’d get the chutney made.

Some things I’d like to point out before be get started.

1. I didn’t have any shado beni or cilantro when I made this batch, but I highly suggest that you include one of these in your version. The flavour that’s added is exceptional.

2. I used chili peppers since that’s what I had available, but the traditional way to make this is with scotch bonnet or habanero peppers (do include some seeds for the real heat)

3. There are different ways to make this sort of mango chutney and I’m sure many of you may have a different recipe for it. Do share in the comments box below.

You’ll need…

1 green mango
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 chili peppers (or 1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper)
2 cloves garlic
dash black pepper
2 shado beni leaves (or couple tablespoons cilantro)
Juice of 1 lime or lemon
1 scallion (garnish)

Start by peeling the mango and giving it a wash under cool water. Then you have a couple options here… you can cut the green mango into pieces and add it to a food processor to puree. If you choose this method, you can add all the ingredients mentioned above at the same time and you’ll have the finished chutney very fast. The other way (One I used) is to grate the green mango on the fine option on your grater (remember to back off when you get close to the seed). Place the grated mango into a bowl to mix with the other ingredients.

trini green mango chutney

trini mango chutney

spicy mango chutney

In a mortar, place the peppers, garlic, salt and shado beni (I didn’t have any) and begin to pound away. The salt (being coarse) will help you to really get a smooth paste. Now squeeze the lime or lemon into the mortar, then add the crushed mixture to the bowl with the grated mango. I put the lime juice in the mortar to help pick up the remaining bits, rather than put it directly to the bowl with the grated mango. If you’re using cilantro, I find that it’s best to mince it very fine with a knife and add it to the grated mango, rather than adding it to the mortar to be crushed.

mango chutney recipe

mango chutney

trinidad mango chutney

After you pour the crushed mixture from the mortar into the bowl with the grated mango, give it a good mix and taste for salt (remember to add a dash of black pepper). You should not get an over powering “sour” taste. It should be a combination of the tartness of the mango, the heat from the peppers, the uniqueness of the garlic and an overall freshness form the lime juice. Top with sliced scallions!

green mango chutney

You can eat this fresh or store (as in my case) in a tightly sealed container in the fridge. NOTE: You will notice that if you do store it in the fridge it will loose some of it’s heat.

Hopefully I’ll have time in the morning to cook up some pholourie. Stay tuned.

Some Green Mango Buying Tips!

1. The skin should look green in colour.

2. It should be very firm to the touch. Using your thumb, press against the mango, it should not give.

3. Besides being green with a bit of a natural shine in colour, it should not have any blemishes (dark spots).

4. When you cut it it should have a light green colour with a slight tinge of yellow.

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