Guyanese Karhee
People try to skip the "soak" or rush the "fry," but true Karhee is a labor of love.
It’s a genius invention: you take humble split peas, turn half into fluffy fried clouds (Pholourie) and the other half into a silky, golden gravy.
The secret to this specific version is the Chickpea (Chana) Addition.
Adding ground chickpeas to your split peas gives the fritters a nutty "heft" and a creamy interior that holds its shape even when swimming in hot gravy.
🥣 1. The Foundation: The "Split" Batter
You aren't just making one dough; you are splitting your peas into two different destinies.
The Overnight Soak: You cannot use canned peas here. You need the raw split peas to soak for at least 6 hours until they are "fat" and soft enough to blend.
The "Sauce Starter": Reserve about 1/2 cup of your raw ground pea mixture. This is your thickener. Instead of using flour or cornstarch, we use the raw pea paste to give the gravy that authentic, earthy "Karhee" body.
The Chana Twist: Blending the chickpeas with your fresh garlic, pepper, and cilantro creates a savory "punch" that makes the Pholourie taste like a meal on its own.
🍛 2. Technique & Texture: The Gravy Build
The gravy (the Karhee) should be thick enough to coat a spoon, but thin enough to soak into the fritters.
The "Bunjay": Fry your curry powder and masala in the oil with whole jeera (cumin) until it smells toasted and the oil starts to separate.
Cooking the Raw Paste: When you add that reserved 1/2 cup of ground peas to the masala, you must cook it for a few minutes before adding the 5 cups of water. If you don't "fry" the raw pea paste, your gravy will have a "green," raw taste.
The Creamy Simmer: Give the sauce at least 15–20 minutes on low heat. It will transform from a thin yellow water into a rich, opaque, creamy gold.
🍘 3. The Fry: Making the Pholourie
This is the part that tests your patience.
Medium-Low Heat: If the oil is too hot, the outside of your Pholourie will be brown and the inside will be raw paste. You want a steady, gentle sizzle.
The "Drop": Use your fingers or a small scoop to drop round balls into the oil. They should bob to the surface and spin as they cook.
The Fluff Factor: A good Pholourie should be "spongy" inside. Those tiny air pockets are what will suck up the Karhee gravy in the final step.
🇬🇾 4. Heritage & Tradition: The "Resting" Period
In Guyana, we know that Karhee is always better 20 minutes after it's finished than it is the moment you turn off the stove.
The Absorption: When you drop the fried balls into the gravy, turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let them sit for 5–10 minutes. The Pholourie act like little sponges, drinking in the spiced gravy until they are heavy and tender.
The Sour Side: If you have some Tamarind Sour or Mango Sour on the side, a little drizzle over the top of your bowl will elevate the whole dish.
🔥 5. The Finish: Recipe Steps
Step 1: The Blend & Split
Blend 1.5 cups soaked split peas and 0.5 cups chickpeas with garlic, onion, pepper, and cilantro until smooth.
Reserve 1/2 cup of this raw mixture for the sauce.
Season the rest with salt and whole jeera for the fritters.
Step 2: The Karhee Gravy
Sauté whole jeera and aromatics in oil. Add curry powder and masala; fry until thickened.
Stir in the reserved 1/2 cup pea paste and cook for 2 minutes.
Add 5 cups water and salt. Simmer on low for 20 minutes until creamy and thick.
Step 3: The Pholourie
Drop small balls of the remaining batter into medium-low oil.
Fry until golden brown and fluffy. Drain on paper towels.
Step 4: The Marriage
Toss the fried balls into the hot gravy.
Simmer for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let rest covered for 10 minutes.
Serve over white rice or with a hot, buttery Sada Roti.
Master Tip: If the gravy gets too thick while resting (split peas love to soak up water!), just whisk in a half-cup of boiling water to loosen it back up before serving.
NOTES:
🍳 Dish overview
– Guyanese karhee/karhi made in a vegan style using fried split-pea fritters (pholourie/palauri) simmered in a thick curry sauce.
– The recipe modifies the traditional all-dal version by adding chickpeas (chana) for a more balanced texture and flavor.
🥣 Main ingredients
– 1½ cups split peas (dal), soaked for about 6 hours or overnight.
– ½ cup chickpeas, soaked.
– Aromatics split into two portions: onion, scallion, cilantro, garlic, hot pepper.
– Seasoning includes curry powder, masala, salt, and whole cumin (jeera).
– Additional ingredients: water for the sauce and oil for frying.
– Optional finishing and serving items mentioned: roasted jeera, scallions, tamarind sour, roti, or rice.
🔪 Prep and blending
– Drain the soaked split peas and blend until smooth; a chunkier texture is optional.
– Blend the chickpeas with half of the fresh seasoning mixture.
– Reserve about ½ cup of the ground split-pea mixture for the curry sauce.
– Combine the remaining ground split peas and chickpeas, then mix in salt and whole cumin to form the fritter batter.
🍛 Sauce preparation
– Heat oil and add whole cumin plus the reserved half of the fresh seasoning.
– Add curry powder, masala, water, and salt to taste, then cook until the masala mixture fries down and returns to a thicker consistency.
– Stir in the reserved ground split-pea mixture and cook it thoroughly, since it is still raw.
– Add about 5 cups water and simmer on low heat for 15–20 minutes until the sauce becomes thick, rich, and creamy.
🍘 Frying the fritters
– Heat oil over medium-low heat.
– Use a small scoop, spoon, or fingers to drop portions of batter into the oil.
– Fry until golden brown on the outside.
– The target texture is crisp outside and soft, fluffy inside.
⏱️ Final cooking
– Add the fried fritters to the finished sauce.
– Simmer for about 5 minutes so they absorb some of the curry.
– Turn off the heat, cover, and let the dish rest briefly before serving.
💡 Texture and serving notes
– The sauce is intended to be fairly thick, since it continues to thicken as it cooks.
– The fritters are shown split open to highlight a soft interior that absorbs the sauce well.
– Can be served as:
– Karhee with sauce
– Plain pholourie with tamarind sauce
– A meal with rice or sada roti