Mung Dal Vada (Fried Indian Lentil Fritters)

Clearly I have a sort of addiction to Indian savories and my introduction to vadas has done nothing to curb that. Popular in South India, vadas are fried savories made with dal and spices that are now popular in many parts of India and beyond. Often disc or doughnut shaped, this popular street food can be eaten for breakfast or as a snack with any variety of chutneys, and are a fine feature of any meal, often served up as an appetizer with some sambar or rasam. I adore them so much that they can easily serve as a main course for me, especially in the summer when my appetite is rather sporadic.

These ones combine the earthy sweet flavors of split mung and toor dal. They are rather easy to prepare too. Though I rarely deep fry foods, preferring baked version of classics, once in a while I do indulge. The vadas fry up quickly and are really not oily at all. Crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy inside, these are a treat that is pretty much impossible to find in Indian restaurants in the city I reside in because, for the most part, it is North Indian creations that are served and the menus of never seem to vary. No matter, as homemade is always better.

I served this delightful savories with a homemade fresh coconut chutney with tamarind and cilantro.

Mung Dal Vada (North Indian Lentil Fritters)

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on June 26, 2015 Sweet and earthy split dals blended with spices and fried into light, crispy savory fritters Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/2 cup split mung dal, rinsed 1/4 cup chana dal or toor dal, well rinsed 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon coriander seeds 2 green chilies, seeded and minced handful or fresh cilantro, chopped 1-inch piece ginger, minced 1 teaspoon turmeric 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon asafetida, to taste 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste peanut oil or other oil for frying Instructions: Soak the mung and chana or toor dal for 3 hours or longer. Drain, rinse, and transfer to a food processor or blender. Blend until coarsely ground, adding a few tablespoons of water if necessary. Add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, chilies, fresh cilantro, ginger, turmeric, baking soda, asafetida and salt. Process for another few minutes, until well blended. Transfer to a bowl and beat with a wire whisk for a few minutes, until bubbles being to form in the batter. Heat 2 inches of oil in a medium saucepan. Drop a small bit of the batter into the pot. If it rises to the top, then the oil is hot enough to proceed. Drop tablespoon portions of the batter into the oil, taking care to gently stir now and again, and cook for about 5 minutes until the vadas are golden. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve hot or warm with your favorite chutney. Makes 12 to 16 vadas

This is my contribution to My Legume Love Affair, a long running event started by lovely Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook, now administered by me and kindly hosted this month by PJ.

Other Indian savories to whet your appetite:
Chana Vada (Chana Dal Peanut Patties) with a Tamarind Chili Sauce
Savory Chana Dal Fritters with Tomatoes and Spices
Spicy Baked Chickpea Koftas

On the top of the reading stack: Stalin's Daughter: The Extraordinary and Tumultuous Life of Svetlana Stalina by Rosemary Sullivan

►

Mexican-Style Mung Bean Tostadas

Tostadas are rather new to me, but this dish is essentially a salad with a toasted corn tortilla base and bean topping with other delights, such as lettuce, tomatoes and salsa or guacamole if you please. I was inspired to try this rather unconventional version of a Mexican classic with mung beans instead of refried beans for quite some time now after I spotted the recipe from Janet of The Taste Space. Another beauty and certainly I encourage my readers to check out Janet's vegan wonders.

I adore mung beans, with their particularly sweet and earthy flavor, and why not play around with traditional dishes? I am certainly glad I did.

Notes: You can buy prepared tostada shells, but I opted for corn tortillas that I baked for about 8 minutes in the oven. Alternately, you can deep fry them in oil in a pan on the stovetop until golden, but I went for the less greasy version.

Use of toppings here is wide open. I made a simple salsa with some cherry tomatoes, olives, avocado and jalapeños with some freshly chopped cilantro. If pressed for time, prepared salsa will do, but because it is so easy to make, I like to make my own fresh. I just kept the spice to a minimum as the beans have a pleasant heat in themselves.

Nutritional yeast here is optional but it does add a pleasant cheesy flavor without any actual dairy cheese. If you wish, do add some grated cheese as part of the topping.

As an alternative to the mung beans, consider my classic version of refried beans.

Mexican-Style Mung Bean Tostadas

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from The Taste Space Cuisine: Mexican Published on April 10, 2015 Crispy golden baked corn tortillas topped with a salad of sweet and zesty refried mung beans, brown rice and salsa Print this recipe Tostados: 2/3 cup dried mung beans (2 cups cooked) 4 sun-dried tomatoes 1/2 tablespoon olive oil 1 shallot, finely chopped 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped 1 to 2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped 1 medium tomato, finely chopped 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons chili powder 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, to taste 1 to 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, to taste (optional) sea salt to taste 6 6-inch corn tortillas Toppings: 1/2 cup or more pitted black or Kalamata olives, sliced jalapeño slices (optional) 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1 avocado, sliced 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped juice from 1 lime (2 tablespoons) pinch of sea salt 1 cup cooked brown rice (from 1/3 cup uncooked) 1 to 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce Instructions: Rinse the mung beans and soak for 6 hours or overnight in several inches of water. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a medium saucepan and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the mung beans are soft and nearly breaking apart. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, soak the sun-dried tomatoes in hot water for 30 minutes, then drain and chop. Set aside. In a large non-stick frying pan or cast-iron skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the shallots and stir for a few minutes to soften. Add the ginger and jalapeños and cook, stirring, for another few minutes. Add the tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, paprika and cayenne and cook for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes begin to thicken up. Add the cooked mung beans to the pan and mash everything together with a fork. Let them cook for another 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the nutritional yeast if using and salt, and remove from the heat. To make a simple salsa as a topping, in a medium bowl, toss together the olives, jalapeños if using, cherry tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, lime juice and a bit of salt. Preheat an oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush the tortillas with a bit of olive oil and lightly spice if desired with chili powder, cayenne and a bit of salt. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes until they are lightly browned, flip them over, and then cook for another few minutes until crisp and golden. Repeat for all the tortillas. To assemble, place the totillas on plates, spread some of the mung beans overtop, and then a scoop of rice, some lettuce and some salsa or whatever you prefer. The possibilities are as endless as the mind of the cook and the diners. Makes 6 servings

I'm sharing this with No Croutons Required, a monthly event celebrating vegetarian soups and salads, hosted this month by Jacqueline, my co-host, also bookmarked recipes, hosted by Jac and My Legume Love Affair, a monthly event started by lovely Susan and now administered by me and kindly hosted this month by Simona.

More mung goodness from Lisa's Kitchen:
Indian Style Spicy Mung Beans (Moong Dal)
Black-Eyed Pea and Mung Bean Sambar
Mung Bean Paneer
Mung Beans in a Golden Karhi Sauce

Audio: Remastered Carbon Based Lifeforms

►

Indian Mung Bean and Toor Dal Soup

Sometimes a simple legume soup with loads of ginger and warming spices is just what is needed, especially when one is cold and has a tender tummy. The pictures really don't do this soup justice, but a glance at the ingredients ought to portray an idea of the goodness within. It's an easy soup to prepare and is made up with staples most cooks familiar with Indian food will likely have on hand at any given time. The addition of coconut milk adds a pleasant creaminess to the soup that tempers the spices somewhat and fills out the legumes. Earthy whole mung beans and toor dal are a match made in heaven.

Indian Mung Bean and Toor Dal Soup

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on October 9, 2014 Simple, warming and creamy Indian mung bean and split pea soup with tomatoes, carrots, coconut milk and spices Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/2 cup whole mung beans 2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds 1 onion, diced 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 4 cups water, or more as needed 2 medium tomatoes, diced 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced or grated 2 red or green chilies, seeded and minced 1/2 cup toor dal or yellow split peas 1 large carrot, diced 3/4 cup coconut milk 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste Instructions: Rinse and soak the mung beans for at least 5 hours in enough water to cover. Drain, rinse, and set aside. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. When hot, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. Stir for 30 to 60 seconds or until the mustard seeds turn grey and begin to splutter and pop. Add the onion to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the spices and stir for another minute, until fragrant. Add the mung beans, 3 cups of water, the tomatoes, half of the ginger and half of the chilies. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Rinse the toor dal or split peas well and add to the pan along with the remaining ginger and chilies as well as the carrot, coconut milk and another cup of water. Simmer for another 30 minutes or until the toor dal is quite tender, adding more water if necessary or desired. Season with salt and serve hot with fresh cooked white basmati rice. Makes 4 to 5 servings

This is my contribution to My Legume Love Affair, #76, a monthly event celebrating the goodness of legumes, started by Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook and now administered by me. Nupur of The Veggie Indian is kindly hosting this month.

Other mung beans dishes to enjoy from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Indian Sour Mung Bean Soup
Mung Bean Paneer
Mung Bean and Tamarind Dal
Indian Style Spicy Mung Beans (Moong Dal)

On the top of the reading stack: River Cottage Bread Handbook, No.3 - Bread by Daniel Stevens

Audio Accompaniment: Christoph Berg

►

Gingered Mung Beans

Legumes are a vegetarian's meat. Generally speaking, legumes in some shape or form appear on my menu everyday. They provide a multitude of health benefits, are inexpensive, and for the most part are easy to prepare. In addition to all of those benefits, think of the vast array of legumes at our fingertips and the endless ways to incorporate them into your diet — it follows that meals are never boring, but are instead an exciting taste experience.

Craving mung beans and not wanting to fuss too much in the kitchen, I came up with a simple curry with lots of ginger for a zingy dish. Mung beans have a distinct sweet and earthy taste and occupy a prominent role in the dishes they appear in, including spicy curries. They take very little time to cook, with minimal soaking beforehand — split mung cooks even faster, with no soaking time, but I generally prefer the slightly plumper whole mung for more texture.

To keep the meal easy, but well-balanced and satisfying, serve with a bed of hot basmati rice and perhaps some rotis and a side salad or vegetable dish.

Gingered Mung Beans

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on July 23, 2014 Simple, creamy and flavorful mung bean curry seasoned with Indian spices and plenty of fresh ginger Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup dried mung beans 3 1/4 cups water 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced 2 to 3 fresh green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 2 tablespoons sesame oil 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, cut into thin strips 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon garam masala 1 large tomato, diced 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste Instructions: Rinse the mung beans well and soak for at least 6 hours or overnight in enough cold water to cover. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a medium saucepan. Add the water, turmeric and red pepper flakes, half of the minced ginger and half of the chilies. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender but not falling apart — about 40 minutes. Remove from heat, leave covered, and set aside. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the thin strips of ginger and fry, stirring often, until the ginger is golden brown. Add the cumin seeds and continue to stir for a minute until the seeds darken a few shades. Add the onion and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Toss in the remaining minced ginger and chilies and cook, stirring, for another few minutes. Toss in the spices and stir for a minute or two until fragrant. Now stir in the tomato and cook, stirring often, until thickened — about 5 minutes. Pour the cooked mung beans with their remaining cooking liquid into the pan and add the sea salt. Stir well and simmer for another 5 minutes or until your desired consistency is reached, adding more water as desired. Serve hot with rice, vegetables dishes and your favorite flatbreads if desired. Makes 4 to 6 servings

This is my contribution to My Legume Love Affair, a monthly event started by lovely Susan of the The Well Seasoned Cook and now administered by me. Radhika is kindly hosting this month. There is still time to send in your submission. Three lovely prizes are offered this time around.

More mung creations you are sure to enjoy:
Creamy Mung Beans with Coconut Milk
Indian Sour Mung Bean Soup
Mung Bean and Tamarind Dal
Mung Beans, Toor Dal, Green Beans and Fresh Dill Palya

On the top of the reading stack: Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

Audio Accompaniment: Ooze

►

Mung Bean and Urad Dal Curry

Despite the length of the ingredient list here, this dish is really easy to make and very nourishing too. Most well stocked kitchens presided over by cooks that enjoy Indian cooking will likely have everything on hand needed to prepare this curry. I recommend serving this with some hot fresh cooked white rice and a flat bread along with your favorite chutney and some homemade pickles. Shhhhh, your family won't know how little time this meal took when they taste just how good it is and will thank you for your hard efforts in the kitchen.

Mung Bean and Urad Dal Curry

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on March 3, 2014 Simple, creamy and flavorful spiced mung bean and split urad dal curry Print this recipe Ingredients: 3/4 cup dried whole mung beans 1/4 cup skinned split urad dal Paste: 1 small onion, chopped 1-inch piece fresh ginger, chopped 2 to 4 fresh green chilies, seeded and chopped Tempering: 2 to 3 teaspoons ghee, butter or oil 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander 1 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder 1/4 teaspoon cayenne a few pinches of asafetida 4 to 6 green cardamon pods generous handful of dried curry leaves 2 dried whole red chilies, broken into pieces 1 small firm tomato, finely chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt Finish: juice from 1 small lemon (2 tablespoons) small handful of fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped Instructions: Thoroughly rinse the mung beans and urad dal and soak for at least 5 hours in several inches of water. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a medium and add 3 cups of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until most of the water has evaporated — about 40 minutes. The beans should be tender but not broken up. Meanwhile, combine the onion, ginger and fresh green chilies in a food processor and pulse until well blended. When the beans are finished cooking, heat the ghee, butter or oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, toss in the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and stir for 30 to 60 seconds until the mustard seeds turn grey and begin to splutter and pop. Now add the onion-ginger-chili paste to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Now add the remaining spices, curry leaves, cardamon pods and dried red chilies. Stir for 1 minute, then add the tomato and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken. Transfer this mixture to the cooked beans and add more water if necessary to achieve your desired consistency. Simmer for another 5 minutes or so, stir in the lemon juice, and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serve hot, garnished with fresh chopped parsley or cilantro. Makes 4 to 6 servings

More mung bean dishes you are sure to enjoy from my vegetarian kitchen:
Mung Bean Paneer
Indian Sour Mung Bean Soup
Mung Bean and Coconut Milk Soup
Vietnamese Pancakes with Vegetables, Herbs and a Fragrant Dipping Sauce (Bánh Xèo)

On the top of the reading stack: various cookbooks have arrived

Audio Accompaniment: Bach

►

Mung Dal Chila Paneer Wraps

There is something so very comforting about cozy wraps of goodness. Most of the cuisines I am familiar with have traditional wrapped up delights and the cooks imagination adds extra flair to the plate. I went with an Indian theme for this meal as I often do, and made some Indian crêpes to serve with a quick and easy spicy paneer scramble.

I suppose this could be classified as "street food" but I've also enjoyed bites like this, especially when it comes from my kitchen. In fact, I made this meal, served along with some spinach rice, for my best friend Basil's birthday.

It's pure comfort food, and really rather easy to make up, though frying up the chila does take a bit of patience, even though they are straightforward to prepare.

Mung Dal Chila Paneer Wraps

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on December 16, 2013 Tangy and spicy scrambled paneer cheese and tomato served in a soft, savory and tasty mung dal and rice pancake Print this recipe Chila: 1 cup dried mung dal (split mung beans) 2 tablespoons basmati rice 1-inch piece fresh ginger, chopped 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste small handful of dried fenugreek leaves (methi) 2 red or green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri or other chili powder 1/2 teaspoon asafetida pinch of cayenne ghee, butter or oil for frying Scrambled Paneer: 14 oz (400 g) paneer cheese, mashed or crumbled 1 tablespoon ghee, butter or oil 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 small onion, finely chopped 1-inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped 2 to 3 red or green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri or other chili powder 1 medium tomato, finely chopped 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped 1 cup fresh or frozen peas juice from 1 lime (2 tablespoons) Instructions: To make the chila, wash the mung dal and rice in a strainer until the water is no longer cloudy. Place in a bowl, cover with several inches of fresh water, and let stand for at least 4 hours at room temperature. Drain and transfer to a blender along with the ginger, cilantro or parsley, salt, fenugreek leaves, chilies, turmeric, chili powder, asafetida and cayenne. Process to a smooth batter, adding a little water as necessary, until the batter is thick but of a pouring consistency. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and brush with some ghee, butter or oil. When hot, ladle some of the batter onto the center of the pan, taking care to spread it out thinly with the bottom of the ladle so that it forms a pancake about 6 to 7 inches in diameter. Reduce the heat slightly, drizzle some ghee or oil around the edge of the chila, and cook for 2 minutes until it begins to brown. Flip the pancake, cook for another minute or two, and flip again and cook for another minute. Keep warm in a 150° oven while you cook the remaining chila. For the paneer scramble, heat the ghee, butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and fry until the mustard seeds turn grey and begin to splutter and pop — about 1 to 2 minutes. Toss in the onion and stir until softened. Now add the ginger, chilies and spices, and stir for 1 minute. Add the tomato and simmer until thickened. Stir in the peas and paneer cheese and cook, stirring often, for another 5 minutes until the peas are tender the paneer is heated throughout. Stir in the lime juice and cook for another few minutes. To serve, spoon a few tablespoons or more of the paneer onto a chila, roll it or fold it, and serve alongside a piping hot bed of rice. Makes 6 chila

More paneer delights you are sure to enjoy:
Paneer Mushroom Masala
Mung Bean Paneer
Paneer Tikka Pizza on Naan Bread
Spicy Carrot Soup with Ginger and Paneer Cubes

On the top of the reading stack: "The Outsider" by Albert Camus

Audio Accompaniment: graceful silence

►

Mung Dal Kitcheree

A kitcheree is a traditional dish originating in North India that consists of legumes and rice and often vegetables. For those who enjoy Indian creations, this is a one-pot meal that won't take you long at all to prepare. Split mung beans are an especially easy legume to digest, making this a nourishing and restorative meal. I've always enjoyed the distinctive sweet and earthy aroma and flavor that these little gems impart to a dish. Here they are all nestled in with rice after simmered together with some spices and coconut milk.

To fill out the meal, serve with a vegetable side and some Indian savory flatbreads. I served it with butter paneer masala and a spicy potato and green bean salad.

Mung Dal Kitcheree

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on May 24, 2013 Simple, nourishing and delicious one-pot meal of sweet split mung beans and buttery rice with coconut milk and gentle Indian seasonings Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup split mung beans (mung dal) 1 cup basmati rice 1/4 cup ghee, unsalted butter or sesame oil 4 to 5 whole cloves 1 teaspoon turmeric 1/4 teaspoon asafetida 1 cup coconut milk 3 cups hot water 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste juice from 1 lemon (3 tablespoons) fresh cracked black pepper Instructions: Rinse the mung dal and rice under cold running water in a strainer. Heat the ghee, butter or oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the dal, rice and cloves to the pan and gently for 2 to 3 minutes. Now add the turmeric and asafetida and stir in the coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the lentils are tender. Quickly stir in the lemon juice, salt and pepper and let sit for 5 minutes, covered. Fluff with a fork, discard the cloves, and serve hot. Makes 4 to 6 servings

Other mung bean dishes you are sure to enjoy from my vegetarian kitchen:
Mung Bean Paneer
Mung Tamarind Dal
Indian Sour Mung Bean Soup
Indian Style Spicy Mung Beans (Moong Dal)

On the top of the reading stack: John Wyndham

Audio Accompaniment: Magnetik North

►