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Dalvada (Ahmedabad moong dal fritters)
દાળવડા (dalvada): crunchy fritters of coarsely ground green moong dal with chilli, ginger and black pepper (plus 4 hours soaking)
The first monsoon shower in Ahmedabad sends people straight to the dalvada counters by Raipur Darwaja, where fritters of split green moong come out of the karahi by the basketful and are sold by weight with sliced raw onion and salted fried chillies. They are rough and craggy outside, light and steamy inside, warm with ginger and cracked pepper. Eat them hot with masala chai while the rain falls. Chef's tip: grind the dal coarse with almost no water, then whisk the batter by hand for a few minutes; the air you beat in is what keeps them light.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 9 oz split green moong dal (with skins)soaked for 4 hours
- 1 ⅛ in fresh gingerpeeled
- 1 tsp black peppercornscoarsely crushed
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp coriander leaveschopped
- 3 ¼ cups vegetable oilfor deep-frying
To serve
- 1 onionthinly sliced
- 6 fat green chilliesslit
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Drain 9 oz split green moong dal (with skins) well. Rub the skins lightly between your hands and rinse away any that float off; Ahmedabad dalvada keeps most of them on.
3 minStep 2: Grind the dal with 3 green chillies and 1 ⅛ in fresh ginger in short pulses to a coarse, thick paste, adding no more than 1–2 tablespoons of water. It should feel gritty, not smooth.
5 minStep 3: Stir in 1 tsp black peppercorns, ¾ tsp salt and 2 tbsp coriander leaves, then whisk the batter vigorously with your hand for 3 minutes, until it lightens in colour and a blob dropped in water floats.
3 minStep 4: Pour 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil into a deep, heavy pan so it comes no more than a third of the way up the sides, and heat it to 350°F on a thermometer; without one, a cube of bread should turn golden in about 60 seconds. Never leave the hot oil unattended.
8 minStep 5: Drop small, rough spoonfuls of batter into the oil, 8–10 at a time, and fry for 4–5 minutes, turning, until deep golden and crunchy and the inside is cooked through when you break one open. Common mistake: a watery or smooth batter; it drinks oil and fries flat.
15 minStep 6: Fry 6 fat green chillies for 30 seconds until blistered. Serve the dalvada hot with 1 onion and the chillies.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dalvada (Ahmedabad moong dal fritters) take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
- What can I use instead of black peppercorns?
- Ground black pepper, a little less than the amount.
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