Gujarati Dalwada (Moong Dal Vada) with Urad Dal
Crispy Gujarati moong dal vadas with chilkewali moong, a little dhuli urad dal for extra crunch, and the usual onion and blistered chili on the side. No baking soda in this version.
Ingredients
For the batter
- 1 cup chilkewali moong dal split green moong with skin
- 1/4 cup dhuli urad dal split black gram, skinned
- Water, to soak (about 2 to 3 inches above the dal)
- 2 to 3 green chilies
- 1/2 inch fresh ginger peeled
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves roughly chopped
- 1 to 2 tbsp water for grinding only if needed
- Salt, to taste
- 1/4 tsp hing asafoetida; optional
For frying and serving
- Neutral high-smoke-point oil, for deep frying
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- 2 to 3 green chilies slit lengthwise, for optional flash-fry garnish
Instructions
Prep the dals
- Combine moong and urad in a colander. Rinse under cold running water until the water looks clearer, then rinse in a bowl three or four more times until the soak water is not cloudy.
- Soak in enough room-temperature water to cover the dal by 2 to 3 inches for at least 4 to 5 hours.
- Drain soak water. Gently rub the soaked mix between your palms so a lot of the green moong skins loosen. Rinse again; pour off floating skins. A little green speckling left on some moong pieces is fine.
Make the batter
- Transfer drained dal to a mixer jar with green chilies, ginger, and cilantro. Add only 1 to 2 tablespoons water. Pulse and grind to a thick, coarse paste, scraping the jar once midway. Avoid a smooth, pourable dosa batter.
- Scrape the batter into a wide bowl. Add salt and hing if using. Stir or whisk vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes until the batter looks slightly lighter and feels a bit fluffier.
Fry and serve
- Heat oil in a heavy kadai on medium heat until a tiny drop of batter sizzles steadily (not smoking). Drop heaped tablespoons of batter or shape rough rounds with wet fingers, without crowding the pan.
- Fry, turning often, until deeply golden and crisp. Drain on a rack or paper towels. Repeat with remaining batter.
- Optional: flash-fry slit green chilies in the same oil until the skins blister. Serve hot dalwada with sliced raw onion and those chilies on the side.
Notes
Soak at least four hours. Under-soaked dal makes you add extra water in the grinder and the vadas turn flat or greasy.
Batter must stay thick and coarse. If a test vada spreads into a thin disk, drain the batter in a sieve briefly or fold in a little extra tight coarse paste.
Many hing powders contain wheat. Omit hing or use a certified gluten-free hing for gluten-free guests.
Batter can be mixed in the morning and fried the same day, or refrigerated overnight in an airtight container. Stir well before frying; expect a slightly denser puff after cold storage.
Shortcut for the skin-rub step - use half chilkewali moong and half yellow moong (no skin) if you prefer.
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