Moong Dal Pakoda, also known as Moong Dal Bhajiya or Moong Dal Vada is scrumptious snack popularly sold on the streets of Mumbai in Maharashtra. These are basically mildly spiced fritters made with green gram lentils and some spices, that are fried till nicely golden. One of those picks from the many Pakora variants that make the Indian monsoons even better. Try it in your home, and enjoy with your family!
I remember buying the lovely Moong Dal Bhajiya from a shop outside the station in Mumbai. There was a certain charm in binging on these delicious pakodas of moong dal, dipped in sweet and spicy chutneys. What lovely days!
The guys at that particular shop made the Moong Dal Pakoda so soft, porous and with a unique taste. I would wonder how, as unlike urad dal, moong dal does not result in a soft texture in vadas or fritters.
An easy and quick fritter or pakora recipe made with grounded and soaked green moong dal lentils mixed with spices and herbs. these vadas are ideal evening snack recipe which tastes great with cup of tea or can also be served as side dish to lunch or dinner!
Moong Dal Pakoda fritters are the most popular pakora recipe from western india especially from gujarat and rajasthan. However there are several other variations to this simple mung dal vada recipe. But the most common and popular recipe from rajasthan begins with soaking and grounding the batter into a thick paste. The batter has to be thick at the same time smooth paste, similar to any pakoda batter. Later it is spiced with ginger, coriander, green chilli, cumin, and also optionally finely chopped onions and mixed well. Note that once mixed, it should not be left for fermentation and immediately has to be deep fried in small dumpling shape. Also the deep frying has to be done in a medium flame till it is crisp!
There are various types of pakodas or fritters but these made with moong dal are delicious. They work as an excellent snack and come out crunchy and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Ingredients for Moong Dal Pakoda
Steps for Moong Dal Pakoda
Moong Dal Pakoda
Ingredients
1 cup Green Gram
4 Cloves of Garlic
1 inch Ginger piece
3 tablespoons Semolina
1 tablespoon coarsely grounded Coriander
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 medium size chopped Onion
1 chopped green Chilli
Freshly chopped Coriander
Chopped green part of Spring Onion
Half teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
Ingredients for garlic chutney
Half cup salted Bundi
5 to 6 big unpeeled Garlic Cloves
2 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
A Pinch of Salt
Steps
Take 1 cup green gram wash it twice and soak in water for 5 to 6 hours.
After soaking for 6 hours drain all the water from the moong dal, then keep it in a strainer to release the excess water left in the dal.
When all the water is released from the moong dal transfer it into a bowl, then transfer the dal in a bowl.
Remove 3 to 4 tablespoon of moong dal from the bowl and keep aside for further use.
Then add 4 cloves of garlic, 1 inch ginger piece, to the soaked moong dal and grind it into a coarse paste, add a little water is required.
After grinding it keep beating it with your fingers to make it light, fluffy and airy.
When done add 3 tablespoons semolina, 1 tablespoon coarsely grounded coriander, one teaspoon cumin, one medium size chopped onion, one chopped green chilli, some chopped coriander, some chopped green part of spring onion, half teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder, the whole moong dal that you had keep aside mix all these ingredients well.
Keep this moong dal mixture aside for 10 minutes.
Now let us prepare the garlic chutney.
Take half cup salted boondi, add 5 to 6 big unpeeled garlic cloves, two teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder, a pinch of salt, grind them into a coarse chutney. Your garlic chutney is ready.
Now heat oil in a Kadai to deep fry the pakodas.
Add 1 teaspoon salt to the dal mixture and mix it well.
Take a blob of dal mixture and put in the hot oil to fry.
Fry them till crispy and golden brown in colour.
Serve it immediately with garlic chutney.
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Tips *Firstly, soak the dal well, else it is difficult to prepare smooth batter without adding much water. * Adding onion are optional, if you do not prefer skip it. * Finally, moong dal vada taste great when served hot and crispy.
