Moong Dal Pakora in Air Fryer (Lentil Fritters)

Moong Dal Pakoda is a delicious, popular Indian fritters recipe made with moong dal (yellow lentil / split green gram), onion, green chillies and other spices. Instead of deep frying, we will make them in air fryer. It is perfect for snack or appetiser and can be served with ketchup, tamarind or coriander chutney.

Traditionally, these lentil fritters are deep fried. However I tried making them in air fryer and they came out really good. With the same recipe and lesser oil, these moong dal pakora in air fryer score full marks in taste and health.

You can enjoy them with ketchup, coriander mint chutney, tamarind chutney or any dip of your choice. The air fryer moong dal pakoda recipe shared here is:

• Vegetarian
• Gluten free
• High Protein
• Vegan (Dairy free)
• Great option for breakfast or snacking.

Moong Dal Fritters Ingredients:

Moong Dal: To make these bhajiya or vada we will be using yellow moong dal, which is basically split & peeled green gram (mung beans). It is known to be a good source of protein, fibre, vitamins, minerals and is considered to be one of the easily digestible of all lentils. You can even use a mix of split green moong dal and yellow moong dal in this recipe.

Potatoes: Boiled potatoes add structure to the fritters and helps them in retaining their shape while air frying. It also make them tender from inside while the outer covering gets perfectly crispy.

Onion: Onions add flavour and crunch to these lentil fritters but if you don’t like it feel free to skip.

Aromatics & Herbs: Green chillies, ginger and fresh coriander (cilantro) add fresh flavour and aroma to the pakoda. You can use any available herbs like spring onion greens, scallion, chives, methi (fenugreek leaves) or kasuri methi.

Spices: These air fried moong dal pakoda are seasoned with salt and red chilli powder. If you like spicy food, increase the quantity of red chilli powder. Other seasonings like paprika powder, garlic powder or cumin powder can also be used here.

Apart from these fritters, moong dal can be used in versatile ways. Some of the other recipes with moong dal are shared below:

• Moong Dal Idli
• Mixed Dal Dosa
• Moong Sprouts Salad
• Moong Dal Cheela (Crepes)
• Sookhi Moong Dal (Dry moong dal)

Few tips which I would like to share before you start making these moong dal pakodas in air fryer-

• Please add minimum amount of water while grinding dal (or don’t add if not required). More the moisture in batter lesser the pakoras will be crunchy.
• Be generous in applying oil as it will prevent the pakoras from stick ing in air fryer. Also for browning on top, do brush some oil (when they are half cooked and not sticky anymore). This gives the lovely colour and crunchiness to them.
• If the batter has accidentally become thin, add some rice flour or chickpea flour (besan) to adjust the consistency.
•  The air frying time depends on the quality of dal, thickness of batter, air fryer model etc. So you may have to adjust the cooking time from 4-5 minutes.

Hope you would like this moong pal Pakoda recipe in air fryer. More air fryer recipes which you might be interested in:

• Corn Fritters (V)
• Crispy Baby Corns
  
• Zucchini Fritters (V + GF)
• Red Lentil Fritters (Masoor Dal Vada)
  

Ingredients:

• Yellow Moong Daal Split (dried / uncooked)- 1 cup
• Medium Onion (chopped)- 1
• Green Chillies (chopped)- 1 to 2
• Ginger Paste- 1 tsp
• Boiled Potatoes (chopped)- 2
• Coriander or Cilantro (chopped)- 2 tbsp
• Salt- 1 tsp (to taste)
• Red Chilli Powder- 1/2 tsp (to taste)
• Oil / Ghee- For cooking

(The above recipe yields 3 to 4 servings. You can halve the above recipe for making lesser servings.)

Directions:

Step 1:
Wash the moong dal well 2 to 3 times till you get clear water. Soak it for at least 1 to 2 hrs (Soaking softens the dal and makes the grinding easier).

Step 2:
Discard the water and transfer the soaked dal in a grinder jar. Grind till you get thick paste like consistency. Avoid adding water and add only if necessary little by little (If there is excess moisture in the batter, the fritters will turn out less crunchy).

Step 3:
Transfer this blended moong dal in a bowl. Add finely chopped boiled potatoes, onion, green chillies, ginger paste, salt, red chilli powder and 2 tsp of oil or ghee to it (adding fat in mixture makes sure the pakoda don’t taste dry from inside).

Mix the ingredients well with the help of a spatula or spoon. (It’s okay if the potatoes pieces get little broken or slightly mashed in the mixture).

Step 4:
Preheat the air fryer at 180°C (356°F) for 5 minutes. Preheating is an important step so please don’t skip it. Cut a parchment paper slightly smaller than the size of air fryer basket and poke holes in it using skewer or toothpick.

Step 5:
Once the air fryer is preheated, line its basket with cut parchment paper and brush some oil on it. Using your hands or a spoon, drop small portions of the pakoda mixture on it (leaving space in between). Spray or day some oil on them lightly.

Step 6:
Air fry moong dal pakoda or fritters at 180°C (356°F) for 14-15 minutes till they are golden brown. Flip them after half time and brush some more oil.

Crunchy Moong Dal Pakora are ready. You can sprinkle some chaat masala on them and enjoy them with ketchup, cilantro mint chutney, tamarind chutney or any dip of your choice.

FAQ:

How to store & reheat leftovers?

Though these air fried fritters taste best when they are hot straight out of air fryer but if you have any leftovers left, you can store them in an airtight container in fridge. To reheat them , air fry for 2-3 minutes at 180°C (356°F).

Can I make air fryer moong dal pakoda in advance?

First option: If you are planning them to make in advance, then air fry them for only 7-8 minutes initially (half-cook) and store in a box. When you are about to serve, brush some oil/ ghee on them and air fry for remaining 7-8 minutes till they crispy golden from outside.

Second option: You can also make the moong dal fritter mixture in advance and store in fridge. Whenever you want to make them, bring the mixture out and make pakoda in air fryer as explained. I generally keep a bowl of this mixture in fridge and make them in small batches for snacking or to enjoy with tea or coffee.

Tips:

1. Lining with parchment paper is necessary as it prevents the batter from sticking to the basket. You can use perforated parchment paper or make holes in regular ones using skewer.
2. Do not skip brushing oil on fritters as otherwise they can taste dry.
3. You can also add other veggies to the pakoda mixture like chopped cabbage, carrots, spring onion greens, grated paneer etc.

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(Note: The post was originally published on 27th July’2015 and has been updated with fresh images and additional tips.)

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(7 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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