Von Diaz's Gato Pima with Spiced Yogurt Sauce and Pikliz

Von Diaz’s Gato Pima with Spiced Yogurt Sauce and Pikliz

The crisp, golden-brown, deeply flavorful fritters known as Gato Pima are a beloved street food snack in Mauritius. They don’t necessarily need a dipping sauce or accompaniment, but this creamy, cooling Spiced Yogurt sauce is a great pairing, as is Pikliz, the spicy, crunchy, pickled condiment that's a staple of Haitian cuisine. (You could, of course, make and serve them separately.)  

These recipes don’t hail from the same country or culture, but knowing how to use hot peppers to create incredible, colorful, memorable dishes with bold flavors and big stories is a hallmark of tropical island cooking around the world. 

Gato Pima Ingredients  

Makes about 25 fritters, 6 to 8 appetizer or snack servings 

• 1 3/4 cup split red lentils
• 1 1/2 cups minced onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 3 bird’s eye chiles, finely chopped, remove some or all the seeds for less heat
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 10 curry leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon cumin seed
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Gato Pima Directions

Place the lentils in a fine mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly. Transfer to a large bowl, cover with cool water, and set aside to soak for 4 to 6 hours and up to overnight. 

Drain the lentils and rinse again. Set aside in the strainer for 30 minutes to drain further. 

Place the lentils in the bowl of a food processor and process until ground into a coarse paste, 1 to 2 minutes. With the processor running, add 1 tablespoon of water to create a smooth, but not watery, paste. The texture is somewhat like a hummus. 

Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the onion, cilantro, chiles, garlic, curry leaves, cumin, salt, ginger, black pepper, and cinnamon (if using). Stir to combine thoroughly. 

Add the flour and stir to combine until the mixture is a thick paste that is still moist. Add more flour if needed to reach the thick paste consistency that will hold its shape, but not look dry. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Scoop 1 1/2-ounce balls, about 1-inch in size, onto the prepared pan and shape into rounds to form about 25 fritters. 

Place enough oil in a large saucepan to reach 1 1/2-inches. Set over medium-high heat and bring to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside. Carefully drop the fritters 4 to 5 at a time and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown on the outside. While cooking, move the fritters around so they do not stick to the pan or each other. If the fritters start to brown too quickly, decrease the heat. Allow the temperature of the oil to come back to 350°F before adding another batch. Transfer the cooked fritters to the prepared baking sheet using a slotted spoon. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve warm with Spiced Yogurt Sauce. 

©Copyright 2024 Von Diaz

Spiced Yogurt Ingredients  

Makes about 1/2 cup 

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint and/or cilantro
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup finely diced cucumber

Spiced Yogurt Directions

Place the yogurt, mint, lime juice, garam masala, cayenne, and cucumber into a small mixing bowl and stir to combine well. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week. 

©Copyright 2024 Von Diaz

Pikliz Ingredients  

Makes 3 to 4 cups 

• 2 cups thinly shredded green cabbage
• 1 cup thinly sliced bell pepper, red, yellow, and/or orange
• 6 scotch bonnet peppers, thinly sliced and some or all of seeds removed to decrease heat level
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 green onions, white and green parts, sliced on the diagonal
• 1 large carrot, thickly grated
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Pikliz Directions

Place the cabbage, bell pepper, scotch bonnet, red onion, green onions, carrot, garlic, peppercorns, cloves, salt, vinegar, and lime juice into a large mixing bowl and toss well to combine. Transfer the mixture to a 2-quart glass, lidded jar. Cover, and shake to combine. Set aside in a cool, dry place for 5 days before using. Once open, refrigerate for up to 3 months. 

©Copyright 2024 Von Diaz

Von Diaz is an Emmy Award-winning documentarian and food historian. She is the author of "Islas: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking" and "Coconuts & Collards: Recipes and Stories from Puerto Rico to the Deep South." She is also the founder of La Piña, a Substack newsletter covering the people, ingredients and systems that shape global cuisine. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, she explores the intersections of food, culture and identity. She has contributed recipes and essays to a number of cookbooks and anthologies, is a frequent contributor to the New York Times, as well as The Washington Post, NPR, StoryCorps, Food & Wine Magazine and Bon Appétit, among many others. Today, she is an editor and senior producer for StoryCorps, the largest oral history project in the U.S., producing broadcasts for NPR’s Morning Edition. In addition, she has taught food studies and oral history at Duke University and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and food writing and audio production workshops at New York University and The New School.

Sheri Castle, award-winning food writer and cooking teacher, is known for melding culinary expertise, storytelling and humor, so she can tell a tale while making a memorable meal. Her creative, well-crafted recipes and practical advice inspire people to cook with confidence and enthusiasm. She's written a tall stack of cookbooks and her work appears in dozens of magazines. In 2019, the Southern Foodways Alliance named Sheri among Twenty Living Legends of Southern Food, calling her The Storyteller.

Sheri says that she's fueled by great ingredients and the endless pursuit of intriguing stories, usually about the role that food plays in our lives, families, communities and culture.

When she steps away from the kitchen or a local farm, Sheri enjoys spending quiet time at her home near Chapel Hill. She hails from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.