Moong dal Pakoras/Mung lentil fritters
I remember enjoying this monsoon delicacy during my college days with friends at a local tea shop nearby while it was pouring outside! Ah.. Such lovely times. Trust me, these pakoras taste even better while chatting and laughing with loved ones!
Fun Fact: Under the Mughal rulers there was a very important celebration called jashn-e- Tajposhi, and the night before the celebration was called "Raatjaga" or staying awake the whole night. The Munshi (native interpreter) describes the start of the function in the evening as:
Time to soak the dal (lentils) as this is considered a good omen for the night of Celebration. The emperor’s chief consort will be the first to fill seven handfuls and put them in a broad, flat dish and the emperor would be the first to put the prepared dough in the kadai (wok) for frying the pakoras.
About : Moong dal pakoda is a famous Indian evening snack made out of lentils and spices. It is a delicious treat to enjoy during monsoons and winters with a hot cup of tea and spicy chutney or sauce to go with it. So, what are we waiting for?
Ingredients :
1- Moong lentils - 1 cup
2- Ginger- 1 inch piece grated
3- Green chillies- 2 chopped
4- Onion- 1/2 chopped
5- Asafoetida- 1/2 tsp
6- Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
7- Salt- 1/2 tsp
8- Coriander- fresh handful
Method :
Step 1- Wash the lentils thoroughly with water and soak the lentils in a large bowl with water for 4 hours.
Step 2- Chop Onion, green chillies, coriander leaves and grate ginger. ( I used dried coriander in this recipe as I was running out of the fresh coriander leaves)
Step 3- In a mixer jar add the soaked lentils with few spoons of water and blitz it just for 5-6 seconds. We want the mixture to be course.
Step 4- Empty the contents from the jar to a bowl and add all the other ingredients and mix well. The consistency of the batter should be thick and not runny.
Step 4- Heat a pot of oil and drop the batter in hot oil, spoon by spoon and fry it until golden brown.
Step 5- Sprinkle chaat masala on the top for extra flavour and serve hot with your favourite sauce. I served moong dal pakoras with momo chutney.
COOKING TIPS AND TRICKS
1- You can replace coriander leaves with few curry leaves if you like south Indian twist.
2- Add 2 tsp of rice flour if the batter becomes runny.
If you make this recipe snap a photo and hashtag it #yummylahbyhaifa I would love to see your creations! :) Find me on Instagram @yummylah_byhaifa
