MOONG DALVADA (SAVORY MOONG BALLS) & MOONG VADA DE DAHI BHALLE MASALA BOONDI KE SUNG (SAVORY LENTIL BALLS WITH SPICY & TANGY BOONDI IN YOGURT)

Since I am blogging infrequently these days, here is a double dhamaka??

Moong dal vada - the vada with a healthy twist. The moong bean is popular as the perfect food for reducing weight. It is recommended as a food replacement in many slimming programs, as it has a very low fat content. It is a rich source of protein and fiber, which helps one to lower the high cholesterol level in the blood system.

The high fiber content of moong beans yields complex carbohydrates, which aid digestion. Complex carbs are also effective in stabilizing blood sugar and prevent its rapid rise after meal consumption, apart from keeping body?s energy at a balanced level. Those who suffer from diabetes or high cholesterol are recommended frequent consumption of moong bean. So imagine frying such a guilt free lentil reduces the guilt factor in eating fried foods now doesn?t it?

Ingredients

Yellow moong dal ? 250 gms

Ginger ? ½ inch piece

Green Chillies ? 4-5

Turmeric powder ? 1 tsp

Red chilly powder ? 2 tsps

Asafetida ? 1 tsp

Curry leaves ? a sprig

Corriander leaves ? 2 tbsps finely chopped.

Salt as per taste

Method

Soak moong dal for 3 to 4 hours. Rinse it well. Grind the dal with the green chillies, ginger, turmeric powder, Red chilly powder, Asafetida without adding water into a coarse paste. It shouldn?t be a fine paste, the batter should be of thick consistency, so don?t over grind the dal. If you are having trouble grinding you can add about 2-3 tbsps of water, but make sure the batter doesn?t get too soggy else the vada will absorb more oil and be very oily.

After you make a coarse batter of the moong dal, add curry leaves and freshly chopped coriander leaves into it.

For those who like some more flavor you can add one big finely chopped onion to this batter before you fry. (My recipe doesn?t have onions)

Heat oil in a frying pan and when the oil is hot, put small balls of the batter, shouldn?t be too even(very round) while dropping, when dropped unevenly it will be more crispy. Fry the vadas till golden and crisp, remove and drain on a kitchen towel to remove excess oil. Serve hot with coconut chutney or green chutney.

Believe me it was the most awesome dahi bhallas ever!!!!! Lip smacking, cold and crunchy delight. The family is asking for more. Maybe next time I will make more moong vadas so that there is a lot leftover. I think the taste was because of the flavor in the vada in itself. (My moong vadas didn?t have onions). The boondis were added as a innovative twist for a dash of tangy masala and crunch in the usual dahi bhalla recipe.

Ingredients

Leftover Moong Vadas- 10-12 pieces

Dahi(Thick Yogurt) - 5 cups

Milk ? ½ cup

Sugar - 4 tsps (yogurt should taste little sweet)

Salt as per taste

Cumin powder ? 2 tsps

Red chilly powder ? 2 tsps

Masala Boondi (readily available in the market) ? 3 tbsps

Finely chopped coriander leaves ? 1 tbsp

Method

I had kept the leftover moong vadas in the refrigerator, so they had become hard. The first thing I had to do was soften it, so I put the vadas in boiling water and let it boil for about 5 minutes. This not only made the vadas become soft but also increased in size and the best part is I saw the oil floating out. I threw the water and squeezed out water from each wada and kept the soft bhalles aside.

Now, for the yogurt mix - Blend the yogurt and milk until it is smooth. Add sugar, salt, cumin and chilly powder and blend well with a spatula. Keep the yogurt in refrigerator until it is chilled.

To serve

Arrange the squeezed vadas in a bowl or deep dish. Sprinkle some Masala Boondi on to it. Pour the chilled yogurt on the wadas such that all the vadas and masala boondi are covered well by the yogurt. Sprinkle red chiili powder and roasted jeera powder on top and garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves. Serve immediately else the vadas & boondi will absorb all the yogurt.
Sending my dahi bhalles to PJ's Scrumptious Delights from Leftovers Event.
I am also sending these to Kitchen Flavors' Yummy Food : Joy from Fasting to Feasting-Season III and Happy Ramadan wishes to her