Moong Dal Bhajiya recipe – is made from yellow moong dal, mildly spiced with pounded spices, crunchy from out and soft from within. Moong Dal fritters are available at all street and corners of Mumbai. This pakora tastes best with sweet chutney, spicy chutney and tomato sauce is optional.
You could also sandwich moong dal bhajiya as stuffing in burger or bread. Also its a healthy snack option for kids then french fries and other deep-fried snacks. This snack tastes best when served hot.
Mumbai you get moong dal pakoras best at Borivali, Andheri and also at some other chat joints. My mom makes yummy moong fritters. I also make a lot of bhajiyas like chana dal bhajiya, aloo bhajiya, kanda bhajiya and the list goes on.
This snack could be made quickly if you soak the yellow mung dal overnight or for 3 hrs. You could make the batter place in fridge, thaw for an hour before making the bhajiyas. The other secret is pakoras or bhajiyas have to be deep fried in hot oil for a crunch exterior of the pakoras. My reader Abhilasha has asked me to add fennel seed, hence have modified the recipe thanks Abhilasha for sharing.
How to make Moong Dal bhajiya recipe:
1. Soak moong dal overnight or for 3-4 hrs. Drain the water and grind the soaked moong dal with green chilies and asafoetida. Add a little water if required and grind to a coarse paste. Just ensure the batter is thick.
2. Add chopped ginger, turmeric and salt. Mix all nicely.
3. Pestle coriander seed, pepper corn, cumin seed and carom seed with a mortar until a coarse powder is formed. Add them to the batter. Stir the batter nicely for 2-3 mins.
4. Heat oil in a deep vessel or kadhai. Once the oil is hot reduce to medium heat, add a spoonful of batter in the oil. Don’t cluster with too many. Fry few at a time. Deep fry the pakoras until crispy and golden brown in color from all sides.
5. Place the bhajiyas on absorbent napkins to absorb excess oil.
6. Preparing Green Chutney:
- Grind everything in a blender with water until a smooth paste is formed. Place it aside.
- Boil tamarind or dates in water for 3-4 mins. Allow to cool and remove if any seed.
- Grind them with a cup of water until smooth.
- Take a pan and add the puree.
- Add ½ cup water and mix nicely.
- Also add jaggery powder, spice powder and salt.
- Mix and simmer for 4-5 mins, allow to thicken.
- Switch off the gas and allow to cool.
Serve the Moong dal bhajiya hot with spicy chutney, sweet chutney or tomato sauce.
If you looking for more Mumbai street food recipes then do check cheese pav bhaji recipe, pav bhaji, ragda patties, pani puri, sev puri, dahi batata puri, masala omelette and dhokla.
Moong Dal Bhajiya Recipe card below:
- [b]For the spicy green (teekha) chutney:[/b]
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 cup of mint leaves (pudina)
- 1 cup of coriander leaves (dhaniya)
- 3-4 green chilies or as required (hari mirch)
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2-3 garlic cloves (optional)
- 1 t/s sugar
- 1 t/s roasted cumin powder
- black salt as required
- [b]For the sweet (meetha) or saunth chutney:[/b]
- 1 cup pitted dates (khajoor)
- 2 tbsp tamarind pulp (imli)
- ½ t/s kashmiri chili powder
- ½ cup jaggery powder (i used organic)
- 1 t/s roasted cumin powder (jeera)
- ¼ th t/s garam masala powder
- ¼ th t/s black salt (kala namak)
- 2 cups water
- salt as required
- [b]For the Moong Dal Bhajiya[/b]
- 2-3 cup of oil for deep frying bhajiyas
- 1 cup yellow moong dal (split yellow lentil)
- 1-2 green chilies chopped into half each
- 1/2 inch ginger chopped finely or grated ginger
- a pinch of asofoetida (hing)
- 1/2 t/s turmeric powder
- 1 t/s carom seed (ajwain)
- 1 t/s fennel seed (saunf)
- 1 t/s coriander seed (dhaniya)
- 1 t/s cumin seed
- 4-5 peppercorn (kalimirch) optional
- salt as per taste
- water as required
- Grind everything in a blender with water until a smooth paste is formed. Place it aside.
- Boil tamarind or dates in water for 3-4 mins. Allow to cool and remove if any seed.
- Grind them with a cup of water until smooth.
- Take a pan and add the puree.
- Add ½ cup water and mix nicely.
- Also add jaggery powder, spice powder and salt.
- Mix and simmer for 4-5 mins, allow to thicken.
- Switch off the gas and allow to cool.
- Soak moong dal overnight or for 3-4 hrs. Drain the water and grind the soaked moong dal with green chilies and asafoetida. Add a little water if required and grind to a coarse paste. Just ensure the batter is thick.
- Add chopped ginger, turmeric and salt. Mix all nicely.
- Pestle coriander seed, pepper corn, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and carom seeds with a mortar until a coarse powder is formed. Add them to the batter. Stir the batter nicely for 2-3 mins.
- Heat oil in a deep vessel or kadhai. Once the oil is hot reduce to medium heat, add a spoonful of batter in the oil. Don’t cluster with too many. Fry few at a time.
- Deep fry the pakoras until crispy and golden brown in color from all sides.
- Place the bhajiyas on absorbent napkins to absorb excess oil.
- Serve the Moong dal bhajiya hot with spicy chutney, sweet chutney or tomato sauce.
sonam jain says
hello mam actually i have to serve moon dal pakodas 2 days after. can i make them before and preserve them .. in freezer
maria says
Sonam best is to prepare fresh pakoras or cook fresh food for any recipe. But you can try freezing and make once it comes at room temperature.
Abhilasha says
Hi Maria,
Hope you are well.
Try adding whole fennel seeds to a moong dal bhajiya. It tastes good. All north Indian’s do that. My mom makes them crisp and the fennel seeds add the magic to it.
BR,
Abhilasha
maria says
Hi Abhilasha,
I am doing good thankyou for asking, hope you are doing great too. Yes my mom also add them in pakoras thanks for sharing this as it didn’t strike me to add. I have modified the recipe now. Also next time would surely add fennel seeds. Thankyou and looking forward for more feedback from you take care and a happy weekend 🙂
Regards,
Maria