Moong dal vada recipe | Moong dal pakora | Mung dal vada | lentil fritters

There’s nothing like crunchy dal pakoras on a rainy day or in winters with a hot cup of tea. With less than 10 ingredients, these ‘moong & masoor dal’ vada/pakoras are easy to make & highly addictive. Crispy & crunchy from outside, soft & light from inside, they are guaranteed to become a family favorite.

These lentil pakoras can be had as a snack but the chances are you will gorge on these and end up having them as a meal. They are also an excellent finger food for parties. They are usually served with coriander & mint chutney but also go well with tomato sauce/ketchup or tamarind chutney.

This version of dal pakoras is quite popular in Rajasthan, India. Traditionally, they are made using just moong dal, however, I have added a little masoor dal (red lentils). Adding some red lentils gives these pakoras extra crunch, extra softness (inside) and extra flavor. 

The pakoras are made by presoaking and grinding the lentils and then adding spices, spring onions and coriander/cilantro leaves to flavor the batter. They are then deep fried.

Why you’ll love these dal vada/pakoras

These moong dal pakoras are:

• Crispy & crunchy
• Soft & light from inside
• Bursting with flavor
• Simple ingredients
• Easy to make & you can double the recipe
• Vegan & gluten-free (though you don’t need to be either to enjoy these)

How to make moong dal vada/pakora

Step-by-step detailed instructions with pictures & video

These pakoras are very easy to make with a few simple steps.

1. Rinse & presoak lentils 

Check both dals for any small stones or sticks and remove them. In a big enough bowl, measure & add both dals. Add water to the bowl, then wash and drain. Repeat 3-4 times or till the water runs clear. 

Presoak in fresh water (up to 2cm over the dal) for at least 2 hours. It’s ok to presoak for longer too. As dal absorbs water during presoaking, it will slightly increase in size.

Important – these pakoras have to be made with presoaked lentils. Do not make them without presoaking the lentils. Plan ahead and it will be worth it!

2. Prepare the other ingredients

Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients. Since there are very few ingredients, each ingredient is important and therefore, I would not recommend to substitute any of these. Skipping or changing any of the ingredients will result in a completely different flavor & texture.

Coriander seeds – Using a mortar & pestle or a rolling pin, gently crush & roughly split the coriander seeds in half (it’s ok if some seeds are still whole). This helps to release the aroma & flavor of the seeds in the batter. Remove the crushed seeds in a bowl. 

Garlic & green chili – Peel the garlic cloves and roughly chop the green chilies. Make a rough garlic & green chili paste using a mortar & pestle (do not chop the garlic – the flavor does not get released as much with chopped garlic compared to garlic paste). 

Note – You can also grind the garlic & green chili along with the lentils, but only if you are going to use the whole batter immediately. If you are not using the whole batter and want to keep some batter for later, then it would be better to make a garlic & green chili paste separately and then adding it to the lentil batter before frying.

Spring onions – Next, clean & wash the spring onions, trim the ends and slice them (medium size). 

Coriander leaves – Wash & finely chop the coriander leaves (I use the stalks as well).

3. Grind the lentils & aerate the batter 

Wash the lentils once more before grinding and drain. Without adding any water, coarsely grind the lentils in a blender/mixer/grinder. Depending on the grinder, you might have to grind it in batches.

While grinding, pulse the grinder or grind 4-5 seconds at a time. Open the lid and scrape off the sides each time after you pulse/grind. Repeat till the lentils are coarsely ground (it’s ok to have a few whole lentil pieces in the batter, do not grind it to a fine paste).

Empty the lentil batter in a big enough bowl. Repeat with the remaining lentils.

Once you have finished grinding all the lentils, using your hand (better & easier) or a spoon, continuously beat/whip the lentil batter in one direction for 4-5 minutes. This helps to aerate the batter and makes the pakoras soft & light  from inside. You will notice that the batter will lighten in color and swell a bit.

Can I prepare the lentil batter in advance

Yes, you can grind the lentils & prepare the lentil batter in advance and refrigerate it. The lentil batter can be stored in the fridge in an air-tight container for a day or two. However, keep in mind –

• grind the lentils without garlic. You can add the garlic paste separately along with the rest of the ingredients when you are ready to fry
• do not add anything to the lentil batter till you are ready to fry
• bring the batter to room temperature before frying
• beat/whip the batter for at least 4-5 minutes to aerate before frying

4.  Add & mix the other ingredients 

After whipping the lentil batter and aerating it, add & gently mix all the remaining ingredients (except the oil for frying). 

You can taste the batter & adjust for seasoning by taking just a tiny bit of batter on a finger and putting it on the tip of the tongue. For the pakoras to taste good, the batter should be a little bit more salty, garlicky and hotter than you normally prefer.  

5. Deep fry

Heat enough oil for deep frying on medium flame in a wok or a pot. It’s very important to have the oil at the right temperature. The oil should be medium hot at all times. If the oil is too hot, the pakoras will brown quickly from outside but remain undercooked from inside. If the oil is not hot enough, the pakoras will absorb a lot of oil and become very oily. 

How to check the oil temperature for frying

To check the oil temperature, put batter for just one pakora first, it should come up immediately. In that case, the oil is ready and immediately put in more pakoras to fry. If the oil is not hot enough, wait for some more time before adding in more batter. 

Another way to check the oil temperature is by putting a wooden skewer/chopstick/wooden spoon handle in the oil. If you see bubbles coming around the wooden skewer, then the oil is ready. 

Safety precautions

• Be careful while handling hot oil, I always do deep frying on the back burner. 
• Also, do not drop the batter from a height, it increases the chance of splatter. Gently release the batter as close to the oil as safely possible.

Using your hands or a spoon, quickly put in approx. 1 -1 ½ tsp of batter at a time in the oil. I prefer to use hands as I can be quick and it gives me more control while dropping the batter. Do not make the pakoras too big or else they will take a very long time to cook. 

Take some batter in your hand towards the edge of your fingers and gently release the batter with your thumb in the oil.

Make sure the pakoras are of similar size otherwise they will cook unevenly. 

Do not disturb them for at least 1-1 ½ minutes. After that, using a fork, gently turn over the pakoras. Keep frying till they are golden brown and remember to keep turning them in between. It will take around 4-5 minutes for a batch to be done on medium flame. 

Keep a close eye on the oil temperature and you might have to keep adjusting the flame while frying them to maintain the heat. The oil should be medium hot all the time. As a general guide, there should be continuous bubbles around the pakoras.

Once done, spoon them out using a spider strainer/slotted spoon and drain the excess oil. Place them on a kitchen paper towel to help absorb any leftover oil.

Make sure to mix the batter every time before putting the next batch in as the water will start separating from the batter due to salt. Repeat till all the batter is finished.

Success tips for making crunchy dal pakoras

• Grind the lentils without adding any water – since the lentils are presoaked, they will be soft and it should be easy to grind them without any water. The lentil batter has to be quite thick or else it will be difficult to form the pakoras.
• If preparing the batter in advance and refrigerating it, then bring the batter to room temperature before frying.
• Whip the batter for 4-5 minutes to aerate it – this helps to make them light and fluffy.
• Add in the other ingredients just before frying.
• Temperature of the oil – the oil should be medium hot. Also, keep a close eye on the oil temperature while frying. You might have to keep adjusting the flame as you are frying the pakoras to maintain the heat. 
• Size of the pakoras – to make a pakora, take around 1 to 1 ½ tsp of batter. Do not make pakoras too big or else they will take a very long time to cook. 
• Do not crowd the wok/pot – Too many pakoras at a time will lower the oil temperature and it will also be difficult to turn them over. 
• Patience – do not disturb the pakoras after putting them in oil for at least 1-1 ½ minutes.
• Mix the batter every time – make sure to mix the batter every time before frying a batch as the batter will separate water due to salt. 

Serving suggestions

Have these pakoras hot with this coriander & mint chutney. You can easily make this chutney while you are soaking the lentils. You can also have them with tamarind chutney or tomato sauce/ketchup. We usually have them with both coriander chutney & tamarind chutney.

It’s also a good idea to sip some hot water/tea after having these vadas. The hot water will help in digesting the pakoras, especially as there will be overeating involved.

If you tried this recipe, let me know by leaving a comment below and rating it. Please share on Facebook & Pinterest. For Instagram #vegbyswati. 

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