Pe gyaw — crispy split pea fritters, made by deep-frying a batter of ground yellow split peas — are the definitive accompaniment to mohinga (Entry ND-11) and a widely eaten Burmese street food snack. Their crisp exterior, slightly yielding interior, and the split pea's mild, slightly nutty flavour provide a textural and flavour contrast to the thick, earthy mohinga broth.
**The split pea preparation:** - Yellow split peas: soaked overnight in cold water. Drain completely. - Process the soaked peas with a small amount of water to a thick batter — coarser than smooth hummus, with some pea texture remaining. - Season: salt, turmeric (a pinch, for colour), and a small amount of baking soda (for lightness). **The frying:** - Drop tablespoons of the batter into 180°C oil. - Fry 3–4 minutes until deep golden and crisp throughout. - Drain. Season with salt immediately. - The fritters should be crisp throughout — not a thin crust around a wet interior. **The baking soda:** A small pinch of baking soda in the batter produces a slightly lighter, less dense fritter through CO₂ bubble generation as the batter heats. Without baking soda: the fritters are denser, more compact, less crisp.
Naomi Duguid & Jeffrey Alford, *Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia* (2000); Naomi Duguid, *Burma: Rivers of Flavor* (2012)