Chaura Na Poora (black-eyed Pea Pancakes)

Rinse the peas, drain them, and pick out and discard any foreign
objects or bad peas. Place peas in a large container and add water
to cover by a couple of inches. Let soak overnight.

The next day, remove skins from peas by rubbing them between your
hands. You can do this right in the bowl of soaking water,
occasionally draining off water and skins and replacing with fresh
water. Drain completely.

In a food processor or blender, mince the ginger, garlic and chilies.
Add the drained peas and process until pastelike. Add 1-1/3 cups
water, the salt, turmeric and minced cilantro. Process again to form
mixture into a thick batter. Transfer batter to a bowl.

Have all cooking paraphernalia ready and at hand. You will need to
have near your skillet: 1/4 to 1/2 cup of vegetable oil in a cup or
bowl with a small spoon, a larger spoon to spread the batter, the
bowl of batter with a 1/3-cup measuring scoop/cup, a metal spatula
for turning the pancakes, and a plate on which to place the finished
pooras after they are cooked.

Pour 1 teaspoon of oil into the skillet and tilt to distribute
evenly. Heat the skillet over medium-low until oil is hot. Stir the
batter before pouring 1/3 cup of the mixture onto the center of the
hot skillet. Working rather quickly, use the large spoon to spread
the batter in a spiral motion, until the pancake is about 6-7 inches
in diameter. Turn pancake after 2 minutes and cook another 2 minutes
on the other side. Remove pancake to plate and repeat with remaining
batter, adding only enough additional oil to the skillet as needed to
keep surface evenly greased. I found that about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon
for each pancake was plenty, but your milage may vary.

Serve right away, or reheat (wrapped in aluminum foil) in a 450 F.
oven for 15 minutes.

Serve with relishes, pickles, chutney, or cooked vegetables.

Adapted by Karen Mintzias from a recipe in: “Madhur Jaffrey’s
World-of-the-East Vegetarian Cooking”.