Hindustani
Phulauri: fried split pea fritters
Phulauri are fried balls of ground yellow split peas with garlic and cumin, eaten with sour sauce or chutney. Vegetarian, and SRD 10 to SRD 30 a portion on the street in Paramaribo.
Flavour and texture
Airy, garlicky, and swimming in sour sauce.
Street price, indicative SRD 10–30
Phulauri and bara sit at the same carts and get confused constantly. The difference: bara is flat and made from urad beans, phulauri is a ball and made from yellow split peas.
Phulauri came with the Hindustani indentured labourers from British India, whose first ship, the Lalla Rookh, reached Suriname on 5 June 1873; around 34,000 people followed up to 1916. Northern India has a large family of fried ground-pulse fritters, and the same snack is called pholourie in Trinidad and Guyana: wherever that indentured migration went, it ended up on the street.
In Paramaribo sour sauce belongs with it, made from tamarind or from mango, and that is not a detail. The fritters themselves are mild; the sauce supplies the acid and the heat. A portion costs SRD 10 to SRD 30.
They are light and airy straight out of the oil and tough if they have sat too long. Buy where it is busy.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between bara and phulauri?
Bara is flat and made from ground urad beans (black lentils); phulauri is a round fritter made from ground yellow split peas with garlic and cumin. Both are fried and eaten with sour sauce, and they usually share a cart.
What is phulauri?
Phulauri are deep-fried balls of ground yellow split peas with garlic and cumin, eaten with sour sauce or chutney. On the street in Paramaribo a portion costs SRD 10 to SRD 30.
Where does phulauri come from?
From northern India, carried over by the Hindustani indentured labourers brought to Suriname from 1873. In Trinidad and Guyana the same snack is called pholourie, the result of that same migration.
Is phulauri vegetarian?
Yes: yellow split peas, flour and spices, and usually vegan too. Check only the sauce that comes with it and the fryer, which at some carts also handles fish or chicken. A portion costs SRD 10 to SRD 30.