1,000 Indian Recipes (97 page)

1 cup dried yellow mung beans (dhulli mung dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

3 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, stemmed

1 to 3 tablespoons hot water

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₈
teaspoon baking soda

1
¹
⁄
₂
to 2 cups peanut oil for deep-frying

1.
Soak the dal overnight in water to cover by 2 inches. Drain. In a food processor, process together the ginger and green chile pepper until minced. Add the drained dal and process, adding the hot water as needed to make a fluffy, semi-thick batter that can be shaped. Mix in the salt and baking soda.

2.
Heat the oil in a large wok or a skillet to 350°F to 375°F on a frying thermometer or until a pinch of batter dropped into the hot oil bubbles and immediately rises to the top. Pick up about 2 tablespoons of the batter using clean fingers or a spoon and push it carefully into the hot oil. (Don't worry about the shape when you slide it into the oil.) Add as many croquettes as the wok will hold at one time without crowding, and fry, turning with a slotted spoon, until they are crispy and golden on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes.

3.
With a slotted spatula, transfer croquettes to paper towels to drain. Repeat process with the remain-ing batter. Transfer to a platter and serve hot or at room temperature.

Mung Bean Croquettes with Spinach

Palak ki Pakaudhiyan

Makes 12 to 15 pieces

These croquettes, loaded with nutrition and immensely satisfying, are hugely popular in workplace cafeterias and college campuses throughout India. Eat them with an array of chutneys or pressed between two pieces of bread.

1 teaspoon
Chaat Masala
(or store-bought)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, dry-roasted and coarsely ground (
Dry-Roasting Spices
)

1 cup dried yellow mung beans (dhulli mung dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon coriander, coarsely ground

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ajwain seeds, coarsely ground

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon baking soda

¹
⁄
₂
small bunch fresh spinach (4 to 5 ounces), trimmed, washed, and finely chopped

1
¹
⁄
₂
to 2 cups peanut oil for deep-frying

1.
Soak the dal overnight in water to cover by 2-inches. Meanwhile, prepare the chaat masala and the cumin seeds. When ready, drain and place the dal in a food processor, then process, adding the hot water as needed to make a fluffy, semi-thick batter that can be shaped. Mix in all the remaining ingredients (except the spinach and oil) and process again. Remove to a bowl and mix in the spinach, then allow to rest about 30 minutes.

2.
Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet to 350°F to 375°F on a frying thermometer, or until a pinch of batter dropped into the hot oil bubbles and immediately rises to the top. Pick up about 2 tablespoons of the batter with clean fingers or a spoon and push it carefully into the hot oil. (Don't worry about the shape when you slide the croquettes into the oil.) Add as many as the wok will hold at one time without crowding, and fry, turning with a slotted spatula, until they are crisp and golden on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes.

3.
With a slotted spatula, transfer croquettes to paper towels to drain. Repeat process with the remaining batter. Transfer to a platter, garnish with chaat masala, and serve.

Variation:
To make cabbage vadae, replace the spinach with finely chopped green cabbage and mix in
¹
⁄
₂
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro.

Punjabi-Style Fermented Urad Bean Croquettes

Urad Dal kae Bhallae

Makes 10 to 12 pieces

This is my mother's Punjabi recipe, which follows the authentic method for shaping the batter into donuts. As kids we really enjoyed watching her as she stretched a moist cloth over the top of a small bowl (
katori
), placed some of the batter on it, went round and round with her finger to make a hole in the center of the dough and then deftly and gently slid it into the hot oil. Moments later a crispy golden doughnut emerged with a lovely hole in the center. Magic!

If making donut-shaped
vadae
seems difficult, drop about 1 tablespoon of the batter into the hot oil with your fingers or a spoon, in the same manner as
Mung Bean Croquettes
.

1 cup dried split white urad beans (dhulli urad dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

1 tablespoon cumin seeds, dry-roasted and coarsely ground (
Dry-Roasting Spices
)

5 to 7 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed

¹
⁄
₄
to
¹
⁄
₃
cup hot water

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon baking soda

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground asafoetida

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1
¹
⁄
₂
to 2 cups peanut oil for deep-frying

1 (10-inch-square) piece of muslin or 4 layers of cheesecloth

1 small 3-inch diameter bowl

1.
Soak the dal overnight in water to cover by 2 inches. Meanwhile, prepare the cumin. When ready, drain the dal. In a food processor, process together the ginger and green chile peppers until minced. Add the drained dal and process, adding the hot water as needed to make a fluffy, thick batter that can be shaped.

2.
Mix in the cumin, baking soda, asafoetida, and salt. Cover and keep in a warm, draft-free place, 8 to 10 hours to ferment. Then, with a whisk or a fork, whisk the batter to incorporate air into it and make it fluffy, about 1 minute.

3.
Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet to 350°F to 375°F on a frying thermometer, or until a pinch of batter dropped into the hot oil bubbles and immediately rises to the top.

4.
Meanwhile, have ready a small bowl of water. Wet the cheesecloth with water, squeeze it out completely and wrap it tautly over the top of the bowl. There will be some overhang. Holding the overhang securely under the bowl, with a clean hand, place about 2 tablespoons of the batter on the cheesecloth and, with lightly moistened fingers, spread it into a 3-inch disc. With your forefinger, make a
¹
⁄
₂
-inch hole in the center of the disc to make a doughnut. Gently push from one side to slide each doughnut into the hot oil. (Dip your fingers in the bowl of water as you work.) Add as many doughnuts as the wok can hold at one time without crowding and deep-fry, turning occasionally with a slotted spatula until they are crisp and golden on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove croquettes to paper towels to drain. Repeat the process with the remaining batter. Transfer to a platter and serve hot.

South Indian Croquettes with Curry Leaves

Vadai

Makes 15 to 20 pieces

These are made essentially in the same way as their Punjabi counterparts, but the batter also contains rice and they come with an entirely different set of seasonings.

1 cup dried white urad beans (dhulli urad dal), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water