Vegetarian Eggless Fritter 8: Daal Wada [Lentil Fritter]

Serves 6

2 cups split moong dal, soaked for 1 hour
½ onion finely diced
2-3 chillies, minced
Few curry leaves, finely chopped
Salt, cumin seeds, ajwain, red chilli powder and turmeric to taste (1/2 to 1tsp of each)
Pinch asafoetida
Oil for frying

1. After soaking the moong dahl, grind it in a food processor until smooth.
2. Add remaining ingredients to the mix.
3. Fry as golf ball sized balls in hot oil.
4. Serve hot with chutney of your choice - they taste particularly good with barbecue sauce/sweet imli chutney!

These can also be eaten with Punjabi kadhi (in a dish called Kadhi Pakoda).For this you will need:
2 cups yogurt
½ cup chick pea flour
2-3 Dry red chillies
2-3 tsp kadhi masala (bought from Indian store)
1 tsp black mustard seeds
Few curry leaves
Pinch asafoetida
2 tsp oil

1. Combine yogurt and chick pea flour in a bowl ensuring that it is smooth and lump-free.
2. In a saucepan, heat some oil.
3. Once heated, add chillies, mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida.
4. Saute for 1 minute before adding yogurt and flour mixture. Keep mixing and add up to 1.5 cups of water.
5. Add kadhi masala.
6. Keep stirring and cooking this for atleast 5-10minutes on a LOW flame until the flour is cooked and the kadhi is a thick soup like consistency.
7. Once cooked, turn off gas and add in the pakoras. Leave for 10-15 minutes to allow them to soak up the kadhi before serving with rice/naan etc.