Moong Dal Pakoda | Moong Dal Vada | Moong Dal Bhajiya

Moong Dal Pakoda, also known as Moong Dal Bhajiya or Moong Dal Vada is scrumptious snack popularly sold on the streets of Mumbai in Maharashtra. These are basically mildly spiced fritters made with yellow moong lentils and some spices, that are fried till nicely golden. One of those picks from the many Pakora variants that make the Indian monsoons even better. Try it in your home, and enjoy with your family and friends.

Moong Dal Pakoda

I remember buying the lovely Moong Dal Bhajiya from a shop outside the Borivali station in the western suburbs of Mumbai. There was a certain charm in binging on these delicious pakodas of moong dal, dipped in sweet and spicy chutneys. What lovely days!

The guys at that particular shop made the Moong Dal Pakoda so soft, porous and with a unique taste. I would wonder how, as unlike urad dal, moong dal does not result in a soft texture in vadas or fritters.

So, I really suspected that they would add some urad dal too in the bhajiyas for the desired flavor and texture. Their recipe of Moong Dal Vada would also have whole coriander seeds and black peppercorns. However, I usually crush these spices coarsely and then add to the vada mixture.

More on Moong Dal Bhajiya

This Moong Dal Bhajiya is a simple and easy recipe that can be scaled too. Besides just soaking the moong dal overnight or for 3 to 4 hours, you just have to grind the lentils with the rest of the ingredients to make the batter.

Make the Moong Dal Bhajiya spicier by adding some more green chilies and black pepper. But I guess the quantities given in my recipe card are also good enough. Use any neutral flavored oil with high smoking point to fry the pakoda. While frying, make sure to not overcrowd the kadai with bhajiya.

Moong Dal Pakoda is a great choice of tea time snack in the monsoon and winter seasons alike. Serve these pakodas with tomato ketchup, Coriander Chutney, tamarind chutney or any other chutney of your choice. You can even sandwich these between bread slices or pavs to enjoy a Moong Dal Vada Pav.

What I found in sUpazon Moong Dal Vada: The same super taste of vada shop outside Boriwali station in western suburbs of Mumbai.

Step-by-Step Guide:

How to make Moong Dal Pakoda

Just add water to sUpazon Vada Mix Powder and prepare instant batter for vada/ pakoda or chilla.

Fry Moong Dal Pakoda

Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan. Once the oil is medium hot, drop spoonfuls of the batter in the oil. Fry the pakoda till crisp and golden. When the pakodas look light golden, turn over each one of them, gently with a slotted spoon. Fry until they look golden turning over as needed. You will have to flip them a couple of times for even cooking. Once done, remove them with a slotted spoon draining as much oil as possible in the kadai (wok). Place the pakodas on paper napkins to remove extra oil.

Tip: You can use any neutral flavored oil with high smoking point. You can even use peanut oil or sunflower oil. Best oil to use is rice bran oil.

Serve Moong Dal Pakoda hot or warm with coriander chutney, Tamarind Chutney, mint chutney or tomato ketchup. A cup of ginger tea or masala chai can also be served with it.