Chilli cakes - gateaux piments

Chilli cakes - gateaux piments

Ingredients:
250g dholl (split peas),
2 or 3 green or red chillies (as few or as many as you like),
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves,
2 tablespoons finely chopped spring onions,
Salt to taste,
1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds or powdered cumin,
Oil for frying

Preparation:
Wash dholl in running water. Allow to soak in water for at least 3 – 4 hours (preferably overnight).
Drain dholl thoroughly by placing in a sieve and allowing to drain for a few minutes. Put in a blender and blend to a combination of fine and not so fine consistency. (Alternatively buy the dholl in grinded form (not too fine and not too coarse) and soak before use). There must be enough fines to bind the chilli cake together.
Add all the other ingredients to the ground dholl and mix well together. Add a little bit of water if necessary.
Heat up the oil over hot to medium heat. Shape mixture into small balls and deep fry in batches until golden brown. Make sure that the whole chilli cake is cooked. Adjust heat if necessary to ensure thorough cooking.
Drain and place over several layers of kitchen absorbent paper to absorb the extra oil. Serve hot with fresh bread or eat as a snack.