Generally I am a fan of all things chilli! Chilli Bites are one of my favourite snacks. The only thing ‘chilli’ I don’t like is chilly weather.
I am glad that Summer has arrived and we can now head off to the beach with our picnic basket filled with little nibbly bits.
One of my favourite lazy day spots is the beach. Soaking up the sun, feeling the sand between my toes, listening to the waves beating on the rocks…sipping iced tea or an ice-cold beer shandy and snacking on finger food.
I like to pack a fritter into the picnic basket as they can be made quickly and taste delicious when cold. Until I learned to make these at my Cape Malay cooking experience, I used to buy the Chilli Bites mix that you get at the shops. This is another quick and easy recipe I’ll be adding to my ‘Picnic Finger Food’ list.
Little fritters are ideal for picnics and just by adding different ingredients you can satisfy everyone’s taste buds.
These Chilli Bites or Dhaltjies (pronounced dull-cheese), as they are called here in South Africa are golden crispy on the outside and biting into them reveals a warm yellow inside as only turmeric can paint.
“Bites” is a very fitting name for these little treats as they are bite sized and traditionally they are rather ‘hot and spicy’, giving it a bit of a bite. You can get the recipe by scrolling down to the bottom of the page.
As blogging is all about sharing – you just have to try this recipe for Mysoor lentil fritters that I came across when I visited Akheela’s site Torview . I like the idea of using shrimp in a fritter. I tried them last weekend and they are just so tasty. I love the sweet taste of the shrimp as you bite into the fritters.
What special ingredient do you add to your fritters?
Dhaltjies – Chilli Bites
By
Published: November 29, 2012
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 10 mins
- Ready In: 20 mins
Hot and spicy little chickpea fritters with authentic Cape Malay flavours.
Ingredients
- 5 ml turmeric
- 5 ml cumin
- 5 ml masala
- 5 ml fennel
- 1 small onion , finely chopped.
- 2 leaves spinach , finely chopped. Add less if you want.
- 1 medium egg
- 5 ml salt
- 200 ml water to add to the mixture
Instructions
- Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Add the chopped onions and spinach and mix.
- Make a well in the centre of the mixture and add the egg. Mix all together well.
- Add water slowly and mix to form a dough. The consistency of the dough must not be too runny.
- Heat the oil to medium-hot in a small pot.
- Drop small teaspoons full of batter into the hot oil. Use a teaspoon that has been dipped into the oil to avoid sticking.
- Fry until cooked in the centre and the dhaltjie is floating to the top. You may use a skewer to check for readiness.
- Cook at least 4-5 chilli bites at a time but do not over fill your pot.
- Drain the chilli bites on a paper towel.
- Simple as that.
Enjoy!
- Cuisine: Cape Malay
- Course: Side Dish
- Skill Level: Easy
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Please Sir, may we have some more?
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