In winters, street hawkers [in north India] sell warm and delicious moong daal pakori with shredded radish and loads of spicy green chutney... simply yummy! Hawkers often call this ‘Ram ladoo’.
Ingredients
- 250 gm yellow lentils, skinned (washed and soaked in water for at least 6 hours or overnight)
- 250 gm radish, shredded
- Green chutney (as much as you want)
- Oil to fry fritters
- Red chilli powder to taste
- Salt to taste
Preparation
- Grind the lentils to a rough paste in a mixer-grinder, using very little water if required. Do not make a smooth paste.
- Beat the ground lentil in a bowl using a whisker for 5-7 minutes till it feels really light and frothy and is of a soft dropping consistency.
- Add salt and red chilli powder. Mix well.
- Heat oil in a pan for deep frying.
- Using a spoon, drop small dollops of paste into the oil.
- Reduce heat to medium.
- Fry balls till golden yellow.
- Drain excess oil on paper napkin.
- Serve loaded with grated radish (optional) and spicy green chutney.
Excerpted with permission from Pull of Pulses: Full of Beans, Salma Husain & Vijay Thukral, Niyogi Books.
Salma Husain is a passionate cook, food historian and a Persian scholar. She has appeared on Indian television and worked with celebrity chef Gary Rhodes on a British TV show. Salma writes on food for popular journals and newspapers and has award-winning books to her credit.
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Vijay Kumar Thukral has been in the hospitality industry for more than 35 years. Trained in Food Craft and Food Production (Cookery), he supervised the India International Centre's F&B section, specially contributing to IIC special dinners and food festivals.
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