Community recipe
Guyanese-Inspired Split-Pea Cakes with Tamarind Pumpkin Choka
Crisp-edged split-pea cakes are paired with smoky roasted pumpkin, tamarind, lime, and fresh herbs in this bright, plant-forward Guyanese-inspired supper. Soaking the peas and shaping the mixture before a quick griddle gives the cakes a pleasantly creamy center and a sturdy golden crust.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- medium
Get ready
Ingredients
- 200 g yellow split peas
- 500 g pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3 cm cubes
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 0.5 tsp fine salt
- 1 small onion, quartered
- 2 garlic cloves
- 15 g fresh gingers, peeled and sliced
- 1 small hot pepper, stemmed
- 15 g fresh cilantros, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp chickpea flours
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 0.5 tsp fine salt
- 1 tbsp tamarind concentrate
- 2 tbsp waters
- 1 tsp cane sugar
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp neutral oils
- 30 g fresh cilantros, leaves picked
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
Make it
Instructions
- 01
Soak the split peas
Rinse 200 g yellow split peas until the water runs mostly clear, then cover them generously with water and soak at room temperature. Drain thoroughly before blending.
- 02
Roast the pumpkin
Heat the oven to 220°C. Toss 500 g pumpkin with 1 tbsp neutral oil, 1 tsp ground cumin, and 0.5 tsp fine salt on a lined baking sheet. Roast until tender and browned at the edges, turning once halfway through.
- 03
Blend the cake mixture
Drain the soaked peas well. In a food processor, pulse 1 small onion, 2 garlic cloves, 15 g fresh ginger, 1 small hot pepper, and 15 g fresh cilantro until finely chopped. Add the drained peas, then pulse until the mixture is coarse and holds together; do not turn it into a smooth paste. Stir in 2 tbsp chickpea flour, 1 tsp ground coriander, and 0.5 tsp fine salt.
- 04
Shape the cakes
Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes so the flour can hydrate. Divide it into eight portions and shape each into a compact patty about 1 cm thick. If the mixture feels loose, press the patties firmly rather than adding extra flour.
- 05
Make the tamarind dressing
Whisk 1 tbsp tamarind concentrate, 2 tbsp water, 1 tsp cane sugar, and 1 tbsp lime juice until smooth. Taste and adjust only with a little more lime juice if needed.
- 06
Griddle the split-pea cakes
Heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a wide nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties in batches without crowding until deeply golden and firm, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels.
- 07
Finish and serve
Spoon the warm roasted pumpkin onto four plates and drizzle it with the tamarind dressing. Top each plate with two cakes and scatter over 30 g fresh cilantro and 2 scallions. Serve immediately with the remaining dressing at the table.
