Moong Dal Paneer Pakoda - Lentil Cottage Cheese Fritters
Moong Dal Paneer Pakodas (lentil fritters) are a fun addition to a traditional dish that I have been enjoying since my childhood on Makar Sankranti, the kite festival. Enjoy the crisped-to-perfection fritters with spiced paneer by pairing them with freshly made cilantro-mint and chili-garlic chutneys!
Ingredients
For Grinding:
- 1/2 cup yellow moong dal (petite split yellow lentils) , soaked in water for 2-3 hours
- 1/2 cup split green moong dal (split green gram lentils) , soaked in water for 2-3 hours
- 1 inch ginger , chopped
- 2 green chilies , chopped
Mixing in Batter:
- 2 tbsp besan (gram or chickpea flour)
- 1 medium potatoes , grated raw
- 1/2 cup mixed greens , I used methi, spinach and green onions, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp carrots , grated
- 2 tbsp cilantro , finely chopped
- 2 tbsp green garlic , minced (optional)
- pinch asafoetida powder (hing)
- 1 tsp coriander seeds , crushed
- 1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf) , crushed
- 1/2 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
- salt , to taste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp oil , hot for adding to mixture
Paneer:
- 15-16 paneer pieces , about 1 inch cubes
- 1/2 tsp chaat masala
For Frying:
- oil , for frying
Instructions
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Rinse the dals and soak them for at least 2-3 hours or overnight in water. Then, drain the water, rinse the dals and then grind it to a coarse paste with ginger and green chilies, and with very little water.
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Wash the grated potato for 2-3 times in cold water to remove excess starch. Squeeze it using your hands or a cheesecloth to remove all the water.
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Transfer the potatoes and lentil paste into a mixing bowl. Add in the all the batter ingredients (including the 1 tbsp hot oil) and mix until combined. The besan in the batter will help to coat the paneer easily.
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In a separate bowl, mix the paneer pieces with chaat masala. Leave it aside for 5-10 minutes.
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Now, heat oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Once ready, coat the paneer cubes in the mixture and fry on medium heat for 7-8 minutes until golden brown and crispy. If you don't want to use paneer, just flatten the batter with your hand and fry them.
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Serve with mint-cilantro and chili-garlic chutneys. Enjoy!