Moongdal Bhajia/Pakora (Moong Split Beans Fritters)

In case you all were wondering where have I been...We just got a new puppy !!
We brought him home on last Monday April 25th, 2011. I managed to post one recipe on 26th, but then have been busy enjoying him :) He just turned 10 weeks old today. He is so adorable...and so very cute...When we drove close to 4 hours to pick him up, it was raining all the way there, but who knew that the weather here is going to so miserable too.

Not a fun time to train a new pup..and take him out in pouring rain on soaking wet grounds...but his precious face makes me forget all my worries, and just mere look at him makes me forget about all the stresses of life.......Welcome to our home "Raja". That is what we have named him.

So like I was saying...It has been pouring here for last few days...rain, rain and more rain....only uplifting thought that comes to me in this rain (beside playing with my new pup) is making some spicy hot Pakoras/Bhajias... I really have a taste for these pakora today. This brings back lot of good childhood memories. On a rainy day like this in India my mom always used to make different varieties of Pakoras (Bhajia). I have already posted the recipe for onions pakoras on this blog. Now I am posting this recipe for Moong dal pakora here and the recipes for more varieties of pakoras to come later. Here is how I make my Moong dal (green gram dal) Pakoras.

Ingredients:

2 cups Moong dal

1 Jalapeno pepper or 2-3 Serrano peppers chopped

1 yellow onion chopped

3/4" ginger finely chopped

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 teaspoon mango powder

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

Vegetable Oil to deep fry the Pakoras

Method:

* Wash and rinse moong dal.

* Soak washed dal in water for 3-4 hours.

* Drain all the water from soaked moong dal.

* Grind Moong dal in food processor to coarse paste.

* Add chopped onion, green chilies, cilantro, ginger, salt, baking soda and all the spices.

* Mix well.

* Heat oil in frying pan to 375 F (I use electric frying pan, gives you more control of temp and no fumes)

* Drop small balls of the paste in to heated oil carefully.

* Fry the balls until golden brown.

* Serve hot with Ketchup or Chili sauce or fresh Cilantro/Mint chutney (recipe on this blog). My husband likes these Pakoras with yogurt and cayenne pepper sauce. To make sauce this I just add some cayenne pepper powder, roasted cumin powder and salt to taste to plain yogurt and whisk it till smooth.

Recipe and Photographs by Surekha.

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