The Keralan spiced chickpea and lentil dumplings | Vaday Similar in texture to a falafel, these fried dumplings are from Kerala in the south of India. When making them, mold them around your little finger like a doughnut. The ensures that as they are frying the heat gets right into the center of the fritters, so that the outside becomes crispy, while the inside is light and fluffy.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1⁄2 cup urad dal (split black lentils or black gram)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil plus extra for deep-frying
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 fresh green chiles, seeded and finely chopped
2 medium onions, finely chopped
10 curry leaves (fresh or dried)
1 cup (10oz) cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 small bunch of fresh cilantro, leaves picked
3⁄4 cup rice flour
1 1⁄2 teaspoons garam masala
1⁄2 teaspoon curry powder (try making your own or buy the
freshest Indian blend you can)
1⁄2 teaspoon asafoetida powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
salt and freshly ground
black pepper
lime or lemon wedges, to serve
Method:
1. Put the urad dal in a bowl, cover with cold water, and soak for 1–11⁄2 hours. Drain, then cover with a fresh batch of cold water. If the dal still has its black husks, plunge your hands into the water, and rub the dal together to remove them—the action is similar to washing your hands. The husks will rise to the surface. Skim off and discard, drain the dal, and again cover with cold water. Continue the rubbing and skimming process for several changes of water, then drain the dal completely. Don’t worry about removing all of the husks—just the majority. (If you buy urad dal that has already had the husks removed, just soak and rinse twice.)
2. Heat the 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the garlic and green chile for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the onion and curry leaves, and continue to fry for 4–5 minutes until softened. Remove from the heat.
3. Put the drained urad dal, chickpeas, onion mixture, and half the cilantro in a food processor. Work into a paste until almost smooth, but with a little texture. Transfer to a bowl. Add the rice flour, garam masala, curry powder, asafoetida, baking powder, and the remaining cilantro, roughly chopped. Mix together, and season with salt and black pepper.
4. Roll the mixture into small balls about 1½in (3.5cm) in diameter; flatten slightly. Make a hole in the center of each ball with your little finger, so that they are like mini doughnuts.
5. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of a large heavy pot, and heat enough oil for deep-frying to 350°F (180°C). If you do not have a thermometer, test the oil with a little mixture—it should sizzle straight away. Fry the dumplings, in small batches, for 2–3 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot with wedges of lime or lemon.
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| Keralan spiced chickpea and lentil dumplings recipe |
