If yellow split peas aren’t something you use very often, get ready for a fabulous way to enjoy them! Known as Baya Kyaw, these Burmese yellow split pea fritters are crispy, mildly spicy (or not so mildly), and packed with flavor! They’re also naturally gluten free, dairy free, and vegan. Most commonly referred to as Burma, the nation’s official name is the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, a sovereign state in Southeast Asia bordered by India, Thailand, Bangladesh, China and Laos. Burma’s cultural influences are as varied as their nation’s different ethnic groups and their cuisine covers the range of seafood, meat, poultry rice, noodles, wheat, potatoes, tomatoes, beans and a variety of fermented foods. These Burmese split yellow pea fritters incorporate the traditional flavors of Burma and are so tasty, I’m confident you’re going to love them as much as I do! Another bonus is that they can be prepared far in advance, in fact I recommend it because the flavors will only improve. Make the fritter batter and refrigerate it as is, or form them into patties and refrigerate them until you’re ready to fry them.
Serving Suggestions
These Burmese split pea fritters can be served as appetizers or as a light main course with your favorite dipping sauce like my homemade Sweet Chili Sauce. Just pair it with a salad or some steamed or grilled veggies for a complete meal.
I also like to think of these as “Burmese falafel”. Just like Middle Eastern Falafel, these split pea patties can be served on pita bread with veggies and my homemade Tahini or my refreshing Preserved Lemon Cilantro Yogurt Sauce.
Burmese Yellow Split Pea Fritters Recipe
Let’s get started!
Rinse and soak the yellow split peas overnight. Be sure to thoroughly drain and pat them dry or the fritter mixture will be too wet.
Place the split peas and all remaining ingredients in a food processor.
Pulse the ingredients to form a semi-smooth and gritty paste.
Form the mixture into patties (they will very moist). Cover and refrigerate the patties for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the patties on both sides until golden brown.
Serve with your choice of dipping sauce like my homemade Sweet Chili Sauce.
Enjoy!
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet July 19, 2016
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