Gâteau piment

Name: Gâteau piment
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 250 g chana dal (split bengal gram), soaked overnight and drained; 4 green chilli, finely chopped; 3 spring onions, finely sliced; 15 g coriander leaves, chopped; 1 tsp cumin; 1 tsp salt; 750 ml neutral vegetable oil

Vegetarian

Gato pima

Crisp little fritters of soaked, ground split peas with green chilli, spring onion and coriander, sold hot from street stalls across Mauritius and stuffed into buttered bread.

Gâteau piment is a Mauritian finger food from Mauritius, ready in about 40 minutes and made with chana dal (split bengal gram) and green chilli. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 40 min
Serves: 4
Level: Easy
Calories: 311

Plus overnight soaking of the split peas.

Ingredients

4 servings (about 24 fritters)

250 g Chana dal (split bengal gram) (opens in a new tab), soaked overnight and drainedYellow split peas are traditional.Swap: Yellow split peas
4 (24 g) Green chilli (opens in a new tab), finely chopped
3 (45 g) Spring onions (opens in a new tab), finely sliced
15 g Coriander leaves (opens in a new tab), chopped
1 tsp (2 g) Cumin (opens in a new tab)
1 tsp (6 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)
750 ml Neutral vegetable oil (opens in a new tab)For deep-frying; about 30 g is absorbed.

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Grind the drained peas in a food processor (opens in a new tab) to a coarse, thick paste, adding only a spoonful of water if needed.
- 5 min
- Food processor (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Mix in the chillies, spring onion (opens in a new tab), coriander, cumin (opens in a new tab) and salt. Beat with your hand for a minute to lighten the mixture.
- 5 min
3
Step 3
Heat the oil in a deep pan to 175 °C. Roll walnut-sized balls, press a dimple in the centre of each and fry in batches, turning, until deep golden and crisp.
- 20 min
- 175°C
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
- Food thermometer (opens in a new tab)
Food safety: Never leave hot oil unattended; lower the fritters in gently and keep a lid nearby.
4
Step 4
Drain on kitchen paper and eat hot.
- 1 min

About this dish

Origin: Mauritius · Commonly attributedRelated to Indian dal vada, brought by indentured labourers.More food from Mauritius
Dish: Breakfast · Snack · Finger food · Street food · Appetizers & starters
Cooking method: Deep-fried
Taste: spicy (chilli heat), savoury, herby
Diet: Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-fibre
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-fibre
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Street food · Budget-friendly · Portable / lunchbox
Cook more with: Chana dal (split bengal gram) · Green chilli · Spring onion · Coriander leaves · Cumin
Techniques: Deep-frying

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

311 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 93 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

Protein 17%
Carbohydrate 51%
Fat 32%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	311 kcal	335 kcal
Protein	13.3 g	14.3 g
Carbohydrate	41.1 g	44.2 g
Net carbohydrate	32.9 g	35.4 g
Sugars	7.3 g	7.8 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	8.2 g	8.8 g
Fat	11.4 g	12.3 g
Saturated fat	0.9 g	1 g
Trans fat	0 g	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	603 mg	648 mg
Salt equivalent	1.5 g	1.6 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 529 mg
Calcium: 53 mg
Iron: 3.4 mg
Magnesium: 56 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 24 µg
Vitamin C: 20 mg
Vitamin D: 0 µg
Vitamin B12: 0 µg
Folate (DFE): 359 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Chana dal (split bengal gram): Whole raw chickpeas / bengal gram (FDC 173756) used as a stand-in for split, skinned desi chickpeas; the composition is very close.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

The dimple in the middle helps the fritters cook through without burning outside.

Common mistakes

Grinding the peas to a smooth purée makes dense, oily fritters; keep some texture.

Serve with

Split a buttered baguette and stuff with gâteaux piments and chutney for a classic Mauritian snack.

Storage

Best hot; keep leftovers 2 days in the fridge.

Reheating

Re-crisp in a hot oven or air fryer for 5 minutes.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 27 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Chana dal (split bengal gram), soaked overnight and drained250 g
Green chilli, finely chopped4 piece · 24 g

Used in steps 1, 2

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