A yummy deep fried, savoury snack made of split chick peas. Perfect to go with your cuppa masala chai
Fritters, known as pakoras in Hindi and bora in Bengali, are an extremely Indian popular snack. We, Indians, in fact don’t really need a reason to either make them or have them. Though let me tell you, we may find several excuses for them. For instance, the monsoon has set in in India, and so the weather and the vibe becomes an excuse. But let me tell you, rains or not, we make pakoras all year round and love them! So, here I am sharing with you, my pakora love with some chana dal pakora (lentil fritters). This is a Bengali bora recipe, that my paternal grandma made quite often for us. In the same language, it is called chholar daler bora.
These crispy, crunchy, deep fried, golden brown pakoras are truly yummy and really fuss free when it comes to making them. This super easy recipe is made with chana dal or split chickpeas. You should be able to easily find them at your local Indian grocery store. These make for an amazing tea time snack. Lovely, steaming hot cups of masala chai and freshly fried dal pakoras, absolutely delightful. Additionally, you can pair these with your dal-chawaal too. Another, combination that’s immensely yummy. Moreover, the make for an amazing menu item in an Indian brunch.
Also see,
Kumro phuler bora (pumpkin blossom fritters)
Easy homemade crispy palak pakora
Daler bora (lentil fritters)
Another very popular variant of this chana dal pakora (lentil fritters), that my thakurma would make, is with red lentils. They are also called mosur dal (Bengali) or masoor dal (Hindi). The process is same, it is the lentils that makes the difference in the taste. So, you could stick to the same recipe, but swap the type of lentils used.
To make these fritters, you would first need to soak the dal or the lentils, in water and the grind them to a paste. Soaking the lentils is an important step, as it allows the dal to bloom and soften. Thus, making it easier to pulse them. Thereafter, you will need to mix the lentil paste with simple spices and aromatics and fry them.
To give the pakoras an extra crunch, I have also mixed some rice flour to the batter. Moreover, while my chana dal pakora (lentil fritters) look fluffy and airy, I have not used any rising agent. And this is all thanks a couple pro tips that my gran shares.
- When you have ground the dal/lentils, it is imperative that you whisk them well, so as to incorporate air. This will result in a more airy and less dense bora
- To test if your ground dal batter is light, drop a small dollop of it in a glass of water. If it floats in the water, you have got the perfect batter. If the dollop sinks to the bottom, you will need to whisk for some more time
- Once the pakora mix is ready (with the spices and herbs) and ready to be dipped in hot oil, add a teaspoon of the oil in the mix. This step will further ensure that, you get airy pakoras
A few more pointers while cooking:
- When frying, once the oil becomes hot, lower the temperature to a medium and the fry the pakoras
- This is essential, otherwise, while your fritters will brown from the outside, it will remain undercooked inside
- Also, while frying, do not over crowd the pan
Just bear in mind these things are you will be in for a treat.
Now let’s hop on to the recipe. Do make these super yum fritters for your family and friends, soon and enjoy!
Eat hearty!
Chana dal pakora (lentil fritters)
Equipment
- Shallow cooking pot
Ingredients
- 2 cups chana dal or split chick peas
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2-3 fresh green chilis finely chopped (optional)
- ½ inch ginger root finely chopped
- 3-4 tbsp fresh coriander leaves finely chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp red chili powder optional
- 2 tbsp rice flour
- salt to taste
- oil for frying
For garnishing
- 2 tsp chaat masala
- 1 tsp fresh coriander leaves chopped
Instructions
- Keep the chana dal soaked in water for around 2-3 hours
- Drain and add it to a mixer jar. Grind to a coarse paste without adding any water
- Add 2-3 tbsp of water and make a finer paste*
- Whisk the ground chana dal using your hands until the batter feels light**
- Add the remaining ingredients in the batter (except the oil and garnishing ingredients) and mix well
- Heat oil in a pan. Once hot lower the flame to a medium and add the chana dal mixture in roundels to it
- Fry well on both sides until golden brown
- Sprinkle some chaat masala and chopped coriander leaves, and serve the chana dal pakoras (lentil fritters) hot with mint and tamarind chutneys! Enjoy
Notes
- *Even if there remain a few unground lentils, it is fine
- **Drop a dollop of the batter in a glass of water to check for lightness. If it floats it is perfect, otherwise whisk for some more time
- tbsp - tablespoon
- tsp - teaspoon
That’s a very detailed description with the proper steps as pictures 👌🏻
Thank you so much!
Perfectly done pakodas.good job
Thank you! Happy you like them 🙂