Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, these split green moong dal and fresh curry leaves pakoras are a match made in food heaven.
The Bhaumick household doesn’t need a monsoon to make pakoras, a.k.a tele bhaja, bhajiya, vada, etc. We make them at least twice a week (if not more) as a must-have accompaniment with dal. On most days, it’s a quick vegetable pakora with potato, onion or pumpkin. But on days we’ve managed to lay our hands on fresh curry leaves, we go curry-crazy!
You’ll find those fresh curry leaves everywhere – in our dals, my stir-fry dinners, in masala bhaat and of course, in pakoras. It’s almost like we’re on a mission to make the most of fresh curry leaves in every possible manner, even at the risk of turning green!
Enter the split green moong dal and fresh curry leaves pakora – a beautiful combination of the dal’s mild, sweet, earthy flavours and the distinct fresh taste of the herb. Of course, it isn’t as easy as the basic curry leaves pakora, but it is definitely worth the minimal effort and the two-hour wait to soak the dal. It’s smooth sailing after that. Just chop, add, blend and fry.
If you are wondering if you can make these pakoras with slightly dried curry leaves, I’d say you can. But there are chances the dal’s natural flavours will overpower that of the curry leaves. Nevertheless, you can always try. If you are a pakora girl like me, then you must also check out the recipes for Tuna Pakora and Kola Boda. If you’d like to use the curry leaves as they are, try Kitchen Therapy’s Curry Leaves Bhajiya recipe. Deep-fried goodness is a reality that I swear by!
WHEN MAKING THE SPLIT GREEN MOONG DAL & CURRY LEAVES PAKORA…
- In the case of urgency, soak the split green moong dal in warm water for an hour.
- Time for a test fry! Take a small amount of batter and gently drop it into the hot oil.
- Fry the pakora till it is a rich, golden brown.
- Remove it from the oil and let it cool before you do a taste check.
- Adjust the seasoning if required – including adding more curry leaves – and use the rest of the batter to make the pakoras.
Do let me know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram at from.the.corner.table and hashtag it #fromthecornertable. I’d love to see it ❤️
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- ½ cup Split Green Moong Dal
- 1 cup Fresh curry leaves
- 1 Green chilli
- 1 medium Onion
- 1 cup Water
- Salt to taste
- ½ tablespoon Rice flour
- Oil to fry
Wash the split green moong dal well and soak in one cup of water for two hours.
After two hours, throw the water and put the soaked split green moong dal in a blender.
Add salt, green chilli and ¾ cup of fresh curry leaves.
Blend into a coarse batter; pour the batter into a big bowl.
Finely chop the onion and the remaining fresh curry leaves. Add both to the batter.
Add rice flour and whip the batter gently with your hand.
Heat oil in a kadhai or frying pan to the smoking point.
Add two tablespoons of the hot oil in the batter and give it a quick whisk. This adds crunch to the pakoras.
Time for a test fry! Take a small amount of batter and gently drop into the hot oil.
Fry the pakora till it is a rich, golden brown.
Remove from the oil and let it cool before you do a taste check.
Adjust the seasoning if required and use the rest of the batter to make the pakoras.
Serve hot!
