Moong dal pakoda is an quick and easy appetizer or snack to make for evening tea time. This tiny vada made with yellow mung dal is nutritious and loaded with protein and is very addictive. So be sure to make more for seconds.
Moong dal / payatham paruppu is a common lentil found in the Indian pantry. Yellow moong dal is easy to digest and also cooks very quickly. This is also one of the first lentils introduced to babies when they start their solids as it is easy to digest.
Table of contents
This Moong Dal pakoda is very easy to make and my kids loved it as their evening snack. It is a popular sight to have pakoras / pakoda as street foods and they are very addictive. This is pretty similar Onion Pakora except made with Moong dal.
Why this recipe works?
This recipe for the dal pakoda is as easy as soaking the lentils for couple of hours and then grinding it into a thick batter. We then add a lot of finely chopped onions, green chilies and cilantro / coriander leaves. This batter is then deep fried as tiny irregular pieces of pakoda.
This Moong dal pakoda is one of the best tea time snack. It is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside and is delicious when served with green chutney / coriander chutney and sweet chutney.
Masala Vadai is a very popular street food in Tamil Nadu. I call this Mung dal vada, the Rajasthani version of the Masala Vadai. Except there is no shaping of the vada. Just use a spoon and scoop some dal batter and drop it as chunks in oil. One other recipe similar to Moong dal vada that I love is the Black eyed peas fritter / Lobia vada.
Ingredients and Substitutes
Moong dal / Yellow Mung lentil / Payatham paruppu - The star of the dish is the yellow moong dal. We could use split green moong dal as well, but it will change the color and texture of the pakoda.
Vegetables - Onion is what adds a crunch and sweetness to the dal pakoda. I like to add finely chopped red onion, but you could use any that you have in hand. We also use ginger and green chilies. You could add grated ginger and finely chopped green chilies, but I like to grind them with my lentils. Along with it we use a good handful of finely chopped fresh cilantro / coriander leaves.
Spices - I add cumin seeds and fennel seeds along with salt in the pakoda batter. I also like to grind these along with the batter. If preferred, you could crush them lightly and add it to the batter.
Oil - We are going to be deep frying this pakoda, so we need oil to deep fry. Use any frying oil that you would normally use.
Step by step process
- Wash and soak the moong dal in water for about 2 to 3 hrs. Drain it completely and grind it into a coarse paste adding no water. Make sure that the batter is little coarse and not too smooth. I also grind my ginger, green chilies, cumin seeds and fennel seeds along with the lentils.
- Now add the finely chopped onions and cilantro to the lentil batter and mix well. Add the salt needed.
- Heat the oil in a pan and once the oil heats, add little dumplings from the prepared batter and drop in into oil. I like to use a spoon to keep it less messy. Depending on the size of the pan we could add a few dumplings at the same time to fry.
- Fry them until they are golden brown all around and then drain it on a paper towel lined dish.
- Serve hot with green chutney or sweet chutney!
Expert tips
- Wash and soak Moong dal in adequate water and then grind it after draining completely.
- If grinding the chilies and ginger, add them to the blender jar first and give it a coarse grind and then add the lentils. In this way the lentils won't become too mushy.
- Heat the oil until hot and then reduce the flame to medium before dropping the pakodas in oil. This way the pakoda will cook evenly from all the sides. Also this will ensure that the outside of the pakoda does not become dark before the interior cooks.
- Serve it warm. The mung dal vada can be reheated in the air fryer or in a low setting in the oven or toaster oven.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, Moong dal pakoda can be air fried. Make sure that the batter is quite thick if air frying. I normally air fry at 380 F for about 10 to 12 minutes or until they appear golden brown. the timings vary depending on how many pakodas we add and the size.
Moong dal pakoda tastes great as is as a tea time snack. It can be served with hot sauce or ketchup. We can also serve it with green chutney and sweet chutney. These can also be added to Pakora kadhi.
This Moong dal pakoda stays crisp for a while and can be made ahead of time. I reheat it in the air fryer or in a 200 F oven for 3 to 4 minutes. Keep an eye to make sure that they don't burn.
More Similar recipes
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Moong Dal Pakoda | Mung dal Vada Recipe
Equipment
- bowl
- pan
- spatula
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup Yellow Moong Dal /Payatham paruppu Soaked for about 2-3 hrs
- 1 small Onion Chopped very fine
- 4 Green chilies Minced
- ½ inch piece Ginger Grated
- ½ cup Cilantro Chopped finely
- ½ tsp Cumin seeds
- ½ tsp Fennel seeds
- to taste Salt
- for deep drying Oil
Instructions
- Wash and soak the moong dal in water for about 2 to 3 hrs. Drain it completely and grind it into a coarse paste adding no water. Make sure that the batter is little coarse and not too smooth. I also grind my ginger, green chilies, cumin seeds and fennel seeds along with the lentils.
- Now add the finely chopped onions and cilantro to the lentil batter and mix well. Add the salt needed.
- Heat the oil in a pan and once the oil heats, add little dumplings from the prepared batter and drop in into oil. I like to use a spoon to keep it less messy. Depending on the size of the pan we could add a few dumplings at the same time to fry.
- Fry them until they are golden brown all around and then drain them on a paper towel lined dish.
- Serve hot with green chutney or sweet chutney!
Notes
- Wash and soak Moong dal in adequate water and then grind it after draining completely.
- If grinding the chilies and ginger, add them to the blender jar first and give it a coarse grind and then add the lentils. In this way the lentils won't become too mushy.
- Heat the oil until hot and then reduce the flame to medium before dropping the pakodas in oil. This way the pakoda will cook evenly from all the sides. Also this will ensure that the outside of the pakoda does not become dark before the interior cooks.
- Serve it warm. The pakoda can e reheated in the air fryer or in a low setting in the oven or toaster oven.
Nutrition
Suma Gandlur says
Dal vadas are one of my favorite snacks though I don't fry that much. Your vadas look very tempting and make a great tea time snack.
Sapana Behl says
This moong dal pakoda looks so delicious and with chai and a cuppa tea, this is definitely going to make a wonderful tea time snack. In fact, I am so craving for it now that I might soak moong dal now to make them.
Jagruti's Cooking Odyssey says
What a fabulous and tasty moon dal vada, such an easy and crispy starter or tea time snack for a whole family.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
It is! Thanks 🙂
Poonam bachhav says
Moong dal pakoras look so tempting with that golden color and crisp texture. A perfect teat time treat !
Mayuri Patel says
Sandhya, love moong dal pakoda. Like your version with onions and the fennel seeds. Gujaratis make moong dal bhajia but we generally don't add onion or fennel seeds. Must try out this version. Tempting me make them soon.
Priya Srinivasan says
Moong dal vada look tempting sandhya! Love such quick to make snacks, these vada make a great appetizers for parties! Wonderful share !
Lata Lala says
These moong dal pakoras are our favourite ones. Quick and easy makes perfect choice for evening munch.
Your vadas have turned out perfect crispy and golden brown Sandhya.
NARMADHA says
Soaked moong dal to make it for the evening after seeing your pictures Sandhya. Moong dal pakoda looks so crispy and crunchy and perfect with hot cup of chai.
Radha says
They are very tempting and I tried. They were perfect with tea. Thanks for the recipe.
Vaishali says
Wow, such crisp pakodas - they look perfectly done and are tempting me to pi ck from the screen! Who can say no to such beauties !