These flavorful little fried dumplings and the spiced potato balls on page 183 are members of the vada family of Indian snacks. They vary in size and shape, with some resembling doughnuts, but they often feature a thick batter of ground legumes and are deep-fried to yield chewy-crisp skins. Whereas potato batata vada is coated with a batter made from garbanzo bean flour, this preparation is all about the nutty richness of mung beans. Moong dal vada are easy to prepare and really quite approachable; yellow split hulled mung beans are sold at Asian markets as well as health food stores. Get the beans soaking (I have had them sit for 16 hours) and the rest comes together quickly with the help of a food processor. These dumplings are best hot from the oil, but they are not bad reheated, either.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 16 to 18 dumplings, serving 4 to 6 as a snack
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Rinse the mung beans, put them in a bowl, and add water to cover by 1 1/2 inches. Soak for at least 4 hours, or as long as 16 hours.
Step 2
When you are ready to fry, drain the beans in a mesh strainer. Combine the onion, chile, ginger, and cilantro in a bowl and set nearby.
Step 3
Give the mung beans a few last shakes to expel excess water and then put into a food processor. Add the water, salt, and baking soda. Process to a slightly creamy texture, like that of polenta. When pinched between your fingers, the beans should feel soft but slightly coarse. Pause the machine as needed to scrape down the sides of the bowl. When you are satisfied with the texture of the beans, add the flour and pulse a few times to incorporate. Transfer to the bowl of onions and aromatics. Use a spatula to gently fold and combine the ingredients. Set aside.
Step 4
Pour 1 inch of oil into a medium saucepan, wok, or deep skillet. Heat over medium-high heat until 320° to 340°F on a deep-fry thermometer. (If you don’t have a thermometer, stick a dry bamboo chopstick into the oil; if it takes 1 to 2 seconds for bubbles to rise to the surface and encircle the chopstick, the oil is ready.) Lower the flame slightly to steady the heat.
Step 5
Line a plate with paper towels and place near the stove. To make each dumpling, you’ll need two spoons. Scoop up about 1 tablespoon of batter with one spoon and pass the batter back and forth 1 or 2 times between the two spoons to create a neat mound. Then use one spoon to gently scoot the batter from the other spoon into the hot oil; do this close to the oil surface to maintain the round shape. The dumplings will not be uniform, but do your best to make them equivalent in size and shape. Repeat, and fry as many dumplings as can fit without crowding, about 6 to 8 per batch. Fry, stirring and turning the dumplings often, for about 3 minutes, or until slightly puffed up and golden brown. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to remove the dumplings from the oil and put them on the towel-lined plate to drain and cool. Adjust the heat before frying more.
Step 6
Serve hot with both or one of the chutneys. Left over dumplings can be refrigerated, returned to room temperature, and reheated in a 350°F oven for about 6 minutes, or until hot; prolonged reheating will turn the dumplings chewy and unpleasant.
