Pholourie

Pholourie

Pholourie with a curry dip
Alternative names	Phulourie, phoulourie
Course	Side dish or snack
Place of origin	Trinidad and Tobago
Region or state	Caribbean
Serving temperature	Fried and often served warm/hot, with a dipping sauce made from tamarind or mango
Main ingredients	Flour, ground chickpeas and oil
Variations	Depending on the recipe, various spices including garlic, chadon beni, chili, turmeric, saffron, onions and/or cumin

Pholourie, alternative diction Phulourie or Phoulourie, is a snack food commonly eaten in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Suriname. It consists of fried, spiced dough balls that are served with a chutney.

The dough is made up of flour, ground chickpeas, water and spices. Depending on the recipe, garlic, chili, turmeric, saffron, onions and/or cumin are used. Then dough balls the size of golf balls are formed and fried afterwards. The fried balls are usually served with a chutney to dip them in, usually tamarind or mango. Alternatively, yogurt can be used as a dip.

Pholourie is a popular street food in Trinidad and widely available from food carts and takeaways. It is also popular in Guyana and Suriname. The dish was brought to Trinidad by migrants of Indian origin. These Indians were recruited as cheap labourers after slavery had been abolished in the 19th century, and they brought their local recipes with them which they altered according to ingredients available in their new home. Over the decades, local taste slowly altered, leading to the Indian-based part of the Trinidadian cuisine known today. Pholourie is widely connected to the Holi festival celebrated by Hindu Trinidadians. The name "pholourie" probably originates from "fuluri", a dish from Bengali cuisine which bears some resemblance to the Indian pakoras dish.