Crispy Moong Dal Pakora

Moong dal pakora is one of the most popular moong dal recipes! These fried and crispy lentil fritters are easy vegan appetizers that pair well with your evening tea/coffee. Moong dal wada is one of those high protein vegan snacks that will leave you craving for more.

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Soaking time 2

Servings people

Calories 278.96kcal

Author Priya Lakshminarayan

Ingredients

2 cups Moong dal
¼ cup Rice
3 dried red chillies
¼ teaspoon Asafoetida
1 onion finely chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
⅓ cup Cilantro chopped
3 cups Vegetable oil for frying
salt

Instructions

You need to soak moong dal and rice for at least 2 hours. Drain and grind it to a smooth paste along with dried red chillies, salt, and asafoetida. Add a few tablespoons of water if needed.
Add onions and turmeric.
Followed by chopped cilantro.
Transfer the ground lentil paste to the mixing bowl. Add salt.
Mix it well. No need to ferment the batter. They can be fried immediately.
Heat the frying oil in a pan. Using a small spoon, drop the batter into the hot oil. Fry them till they turn golden brown on medium flame. Take them out in paper towels to soak the excess oil.
These lentil fritters are best served hot. Like I said earlier, serve them with any chutney/ketchup.

Notes

Add ginger and green chillies while grinding moong dal for more flavor. Also, ensure that its a smooth and thick paste after grinding. Only add water if needed, while grinding. The consistency of the batter is very important, otherwise while deep frying it may absorb more oil.

Some like to add a teaspoon of baking soda as well to make it more light and fluffy. Besides cilantro, you can also add spinach or fenugreek leaves for a different flavor.

You can prepare the batter and store it in the fridge. Then fry them just before your guests arrive. That way, they will stay hot, fresh and crisp. I would recommend you eat them also when fresh.

Keep the flame in lower to medium when frying and stir occasionally to ensure that it's evenly cooked. If you fry them in very hot oil, it will turn golden on the outside very quickly but the insides will be raw.

It’s also really fun to toss the cooked pakoras in chaat masala just before serving.

You can make them in an Appe pan or try baking it if you don't want to have fried food.

Nutrition