Moong Dhal Curd Pakoda

Ingredients

• 1 cup Moong dal
• Oil (as needed, for frying)
• 1 cup Whisked, thick curd
• Salt, chili powder (as needed)
• 1 Teaspoon Curd masala powder
• Tomato sauce (as needed)
• 1 Teaspoon Dried ginger powder (for the curd masala powder)
• 1 Teaspoon Pepper powder (for the curd masala powder)
• 1 Teaspoon Roasted cumin powder (for the curd masala powder)
• 1 Teaspoon Black salt powder (for the curd masala powder)

Instructions

1. Wash the dal, cover with water, and soak for 2 hours.
2. Once well soaked, drain the water and grind into a frothy, vadai-style batter. Add salt at the end, grind for one more minute, then remove.
3. Heat oil in a pan, dip your hand in water, and drop small balls of the batter into the oil, frying them like bondas.
4. Drain on a rack and once the oil has drained, arrange on a plate.
5. Pour the whisked curd over it, sprinkle with salt, chili powder, a little of the curd masala powder, and tomato sauce, and serve immediately.
6. Curd masala powder: grind the ingredients listed above individually, then mix together. This powder can be sprinkled onto any kind of curd vadai.
7. Alternative method: soak whole moong beans for 6 hours. Once soaked, rub between your hands and skim off the skins that float up. Drain thoroughly and grind. The fried pakoda can also be served hot as is, without the curd.