INCREDIBLE KITCHEN
MOONG DAL PAKODA
5 servings
30 minutes
By Team F&H
Moong dal pakoda also known as Moong dal bhajiya is a popular and tasty street food snack from Mumbai. These are fried fritters made from yellow moong lentils, herbs, spices and are mildly spiced. You can find these in the streets of Mumbai and other cities. These snacks are very popular among people of all age groups. The dish is always served with some chutney or tamarind chutney as side dish. Accompanied with a cup of hot tea, it is a perfect monsoon snack.
Ingredients 1. 1 cup yellow moong lentils 2. 1 or 2 green chilies, chopped roughly 3. ½ inch ginger, chopped 4. 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) 5. 1 teaspoon whole black pepper 6. 1 teaspoon coriander seeds 7. ⅛ cup water or as required 8. salt as required 9. oil for deep frying or shallow frying
Method To make this recipe, use moong dal that's been soaked in water for about 3-4 hours or overnight. After soaking, drain the water and add them to the grinder. Then add chopped green chilies, ginger and asafoetida (and some more water if required). Coarsely crush black pepper and coriander seeds in a mortar-pestle before adding these spices to the batter. PAGE 40 |FOOD&HOSPITALITY
Stir the batter vigorously for a few minutes until it is smooth and lump-free. These pakoras are so simple to make and so delicious that you'll want to make them all the time. First, heat oil in a kadai or pan. Then drop spoonfuls of the pakora batter into medium hot oil and fry till crisp and golden. You will have to flip the pakoras a couple of times for even cooking. Once the pakora becomes crisp and golden, remove them with a slotted spoon draining as much oil as possible in the kadai. Then drain the moong dal bhajiya on paper napkins to remove excess oil and serve hot or warm with chutney varieties like coriander chutney, mint chutney, tamarind chutney, or plain tomato sauce. They make for a good monsoon evening snack accompanied with tea!
