Today I present to you another authentic trini recipe, Pholourie (pronounced po-lor-ree...the "ph" is pronounced as is and not as "f " in Standard English). The origin of it is somewhat obscure, like doubles, since no one person can say they were the first to make it, although everyone would have their own story as to how it came about.
Pholourie is basically a batter, fried in oil by the spoonfuls and served with a sauce or chutney of some kind. Usually the popular sauces are tambran (tamarind) sauce, mango chutney or any other chutney for that fact. I personally salivate when I see pholourie served with chadon beni chutney, there's absolutely nothing like it in this world. See what I mean,...I'm actually salivating as I write about chadon beni chutney.
Now, as with all recipes, everyone has their own spin to this recipe, some people like to make pholourie with a little split peas powder added to it, others don't (like myself). When we make pholourie we don't use split peas powder but that's just our own tradition at home. So if you feel like experimenting you could try it with a little split peas powder. In fact you don't even have to make the batter from scratch anymore, because there is instant pholourie mix being sold.
Pholourie is sold everywhere (at palours, the market, and busy street corners); it is popular at football matches, family day celebration, harvests, and even parties and fetes. Wherever ther e are people enjoying themselves, look out for Pholourie. It is perhaps more popular than doubles because of its versatility. This finger food is delicious and loved by all.
Pholourie with three sides of sauces:(from top left) chadon beni chutney, tambran sauce, and mango chutney.
Pholourie goes with just about any sauce. I like it with chadon beni chutney, as I said before , and when I organized the sauces and the pholourie for this picture, I felt as if I had forgotten to invite all my sisters and their husbands to a little lime.
However, I don't recommend you eat this snack everyday, it is a little too oily. Lately, I've found that you can oven heat the pholourie to remove some of the oil from frying. It comes out crispier and drier. You can also heat it like this if you freeze them for later use.
So, I hope you enjoy making this recipe. The method I show here is very easy to make and easy to clean up when done.
However, I don't recommend you eat this snack everyday, it is a little too oily. Lately, I've found that you can oven heat the pholourie to remove some of the oil from frying. It comes out crispier and drier. You can also heat it like this if you freeze them for later use.
So, I hope you enjoy making this recipe. The method I show here is very easy to make and easy to clean up when done.
PHOLOURIE
1 lb. flour
10 leaves culantro
5 small cloves garlic
1 small hot pepper
1/2 tsp. saffron ( turmeric powder)
1 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. baking powder
Oil for frying
Mix the flour, yeast and baking powder.
Add the saffron.... 
...and salt. Mix well. 
In a separate bowl mix minced culantro leaves, minced hot peppers, garlic and water.Add about three tablespoons of it to the flour a little at a time while mixing.
Mix to a smooth thick paste and leave to raise for about an hour
Use a tablespoon to drop batter into oil for frying.The spoon should be dipped into a cup of water before it is dipped in the batter.
This allows the batter to drop freely from the spoon.
Heat oil in a heavy skillet and drop batter of tablespoonful into the hot oil.Cook until slightly brown.
Drain and place on paper towels.
Pholourie, ready to be served and enjoyed! That's it for this post. See you for another exciting post tomorrow. Bye!
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