Easy Authentic Chana Dal Fritters Recipe

Hearty and flavourful, these easy and authentic Chana dal fritters are packed with plant-power and protein from the gram lentil that will leave you wanting more.  

Authentic Chana Dal Vada is one of the most popular homemade vada recipes, which is a perfect snack delicacy. This delight is crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside and can be served on various occasions and goes well with almost everything. Though fried, these fritters are very addictive and a treat for the tastebuds and a great guilty pleasure item! My recipe uses the perfect blend of spices – cumin, coriander, and a hit of fennel – and fresh herbs to give them bold authentic flavour. The flavoursome and crunchy amalgamation of spices, delicious dal, fresh herbs and crispy outer coating make these fritters an all time favourite.

Growing up in Indore, India, one of my favourite foods ever was fritters! There was a street vendor who owned a small fritters shop, located in the heart of a very famous food-market. On weekends my father often took us here and we could always smell the delicious fritters from miles away! Over the years I have learned how to make my own authentic dal fritters and I am excited to share my recipe with you! It’s as authentic and delicious as you’d find on the streets of India and is so easy to make!

What are Chana Dal Fritters?

Fritters(vadas) are a popular Indian street food made of a mixture of chana dal (or moong dal, toovar dal, or even chickpeas or gram flour), chillies, fresh herbs, and spices that are formed into a small patties or balls.  Every region has its own variant of vada made with a different lentil like in south it’s made with chana dal and is known as paruppu vadai. While in Gujarat it’s made with moong dal and is popularly know as dalwada. However each one has a unique yet delectable taste, which reflects the regional influence and culinary culture. People love eating vadas on various occasions, as an evening snack or on a rainy day with a cup of tea. It is a very popular street food, served piping hot and is very addictive!!

Vadas continue to be people’s daily grub in India and can be bought from street vendors in almost every neighbourhood.  It’s often served in a newspaper or on a dried banana leaf with fried chillies and a generous drizzle of Coriander Chutney , along with sliced or pickled onions.

You can make this vegan dish with simple everyday ingredients and you won’t believe how easy it is to make.

Ingredients

Dried Chana Dal: Also known as Bengal gram these sweet, nutty split chickpeas form the base of these delicious fritters.

Fresh herbs: Fresh coriander, mint and curry leaves WITH the stems are key to this authentic recipe.

Onion: I typically use red onion, but yellow will work as well.

Green onion: Helps to balance the moisture in the mixture. Red onions release a lot of moisture so I like to use more green onions which helps balance it. This means that you don’t need to add any additional flour to hold everything together.

Garlic: For best flavour, use fresh garlic cloves.

Ginger and Green Chillies: Fresh ginger and green chillies adds the spice to the mixture

Spices: Cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds. Along with the fresh herbs, this trio of spices is what gives these fritters it’s bold authentic taste.

How to Make Easy Authentic Chana Dal Fritters:

1. Wash the chana dal with water a few times until it is clear. Then cover the dal with water and soak for 2 hours and then drain the water completely from the dal. Let the dal sit in the strainer for 5 minutes to drain out all the excess water. There shouldn’t be any water in the dal.

2. Make mixture. Add chana dal, fresh herbs (coriander, mint and curry leaves),ginger, green chillies, garlic, green onions, and spices to a food processor and pulse a little bit at a time until the mixture is finely ground. You’ll know it’s ready when the texture is more like coarse meal.

3. Refrigerate:  Transfer the dal mixture to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (this step is optional). The chilled mixture will hold together better, making it easier to form the fritters.

4. Using two spoons, form the chana dal mixture into a smooth oval shape with pointed ends; called a quenelle. You can also shape the fritters in a disc shape, by taking a small portion of the mixture into your palm and pressing it slightly to form the shape.

5. Working in batches, gently from the fritters into the oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes, turning with a small strainer, until evenly golden brown on all sides. Transfer to a prepared plate to drain. Serve hot!

Helpful Tips and Tricks to Make Chana Dal Fritters:

• Soak the chana dal for 2 hours in water to get the perfect texture and flavour. Don’t soak chana dal for long (like overnight) as the dal becomes soft and the fritters will not be crispy. Drain the dal in a strainer and let it sit for 5 minutes. The water should then be completely drained out.
• Dry chana dal is naturally starchy and will help your fritters to stay well formed and to get crispy fritters grind the dal coarsely and do not add any water when grinding.
• Fry on medium flame, and do not crowd the pan: For perfectly crispy and delicious fritters, the best option is deep frying. The oil should be hot and gently bubbling, but not too hot as the fritters disintegrate and don’t cook from inside.
• Once cooked, fritters should be crispy and medium brown on the outside, fluffy and light green on the inside.
• You can prepare the fritters mixture 1-2 days in advance, keep in the fridge and form into patties when frying.
• Serve these fritters with Rajasthani Garlic Chutney, Coriander Chutney or with a dipping sauce made with greek style yoghurt and mango pickle.

Easy Authentic Chana Dal Fritters

Serves: 24-25 Fritters Prep Time: 15 Minutes + Soaking Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Pin

Print

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry chana dal,(Bengal gram), soaked
• 2 cups roughly chopped coriander with stems, loosely packed
• 1 cup loosely packed roughly chopped mint leaves
• 8-10 fresh curry leaves, finely chopped
• 1 dry red chilli, seeds removed & broken into pieces 
• 5-6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 
• 3-4 green chillies, roughly chopped
• 1" ginger, roughly chopped
• 1/2  red onion, finely chopped 
• 3-4 green onions, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds, roughly pounded
• 1 tsp cumin seeds, roughly pounded
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• Salt to taste
• Oil to fry

For the Dipping sauce:

• 100g greek style yoghurt
• 2 tsp store bought pickled mango paste

 

method

1. Wash the chana dal with water until it is clear. Soak the dal in water for 2 hours and then drain the water completely from the dal - Let it rest for 5 minutes, there shouldn't be any water in the dal.
2. Add coriander, mint, garlic, ginger, green chillies, dry red chillies, green onions, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and fennel seeds to the blender. Then, take about 2 tablespoons of the soaked dal and keep it aside. Now add the remaining dal to the blender and grind it into a coarse mixture.
3. Transfer the mixture into a bowl; add finely chopped onion, salt,  chopped curry leaves and the remaining soaked dal which we kept aside before.
4. Mix together all ingredients into a binding mixture. Cover with a cling film and refrigerate for an hour (this step is optional). To check, take a small portion of the mixture and make a vada. The mixture should hold its shape and should not fall apart.
5. For a different shape - Using two spoons, form the dal mixture into a smooth oval shape with pointed ends; this is called a quenelle. Or divide the mixture into equal portions and take a small portion into your palm to press it slightly to form a disc shape.
6. Heat a frying pan with enough oil for deep frying the fritters. 
7. Working in batches, gently drop the fritters into the hot oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes turning with a small strainer, until evenly golden brown on all sides.
8.  Transfer the cooked fritters to the prepared plate with  a kitchen towel to absorb excess oil. Serve them hot with chutney or the dipping sauce. 
9. Dipping Sauce - In a small bowl, stir together the greek style yoghurt and mango paste until evenly combined. Serve immediately.

Did You Make This Recipe?

If you did, take a picture and tag me on Instagram at @poetryofspices!