India - Mungi Daal Ka Pakoda

It was hard to choose a food for India. So many foods from different regions looked delicious which made it difficult to pick just one. I settled on this pakora recipe because one of JD's favourite foods is lentils and neither of us has had them this way before.

Ingredients:

1 cup yellow lentils
1 teaspoon chilli
1/2 bunch coriander
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
Oil to fry pakodas

Soak the lentils in 1 cup of water for a few hours.

The recipe said to grind the lentils into a paste but ours were resisting so we put them in the food processor to teach them a lesson.

Add the chopped coriander, salt, turmeric and chilli.

 Stir well to mix all the ingredients.

Heat up some oil and fry small spoonfuls of the batter.

 Drain and serve with some raita to dip.

These were great. We didn't know what to expect but the pakodas were really crispy and light on the outside with a softer denser centre. The texture was similar to cornmeal in the middle. It was a bit disappointing that we couldn't taste the chilli or turmeric in the pakodas so next time we make them we'll add more seasoning to our tastes. They make for a fantastic quick snack and both JD and I were pleased to have tried them. A very different way to eat lentils but likely the most delicious way to have them. :)