Indian Snacks
Mung Dal Fritters – Baked Moong Dal Pakoda
Mung Dal Fritters – Baked Moong Dal Pakoda. Petite yellow lentils (split and skinned mung beans) soaked and blended to…
- Ready 40 minutes
- Serves 6
- Prep 15 minutes
- Cook 25 minutes

These easy fritters use moong dal / Mung dal which are split and skinned green moong beans. Moong Dal is often used to make dishes where chickpea flour is used, such as pancakes, fritters /pakora etc. Moong Dal is often called petite yellow lentils in grocery stores like whole foods. See Dal names and photos here. Mung Dal makes soft nutty fritters. Add just onions and greens or add shredded veggies of choice to this versatile batter. You can use red lentils (split red lentils) to make these fritters as well. Red lentil batter does not hold its shape as well.
There are many kinds of pakoda/ pakora/bhajji/fritters in Indian cuisine. Some use besan(gram flour), chickpea flour, other bean or pea flour, some others use soaked moong dal or urad dal to make the batter. Some are simple spiced with cumin, mustard or carom seeds, some use have a tempering with curry leaves, and some others use spice blends. Most are deep fried.
Make these moong dal pakoda for a change from chickpea flour fritters. Serve with Mint Cilantro Chutney or other chutneys of choice or with Kadhi(spiced yogurt sauce). You can also use the batter to make thin pancakes like chickpea flour pancakes and serve for snack or breakfast. Let me know in the comments how they turned out!more

More Indian Snacks from the blog
- Baked Masala Vada with split peas and lentils. GF
- Baked Popcorn Okra
- Samosa Pinwheels.
- Baked Mung Dal Samosas
- Baked potato rice crackers – gluten-free
- Baked Maida Papdi – Cumin seed Crackers

Crunchy on the outside and soft inside.


Recipe
Mung Dal Fritters - Baked Moong Dal Pakoda
Mung Dal Fritters - Baked Moong Dal Pakoda. Petite yellow lentils (split and skinned mung beans) soaked and blended to a batter to make pakoda/Bhajji with onions and greens. Use red lentils or chickpea flour for variation. Vegan Gluten-free Recipe Makes about 16 to 18 fritters
- Serves 6
- Prep 15 minutes
- Cook 25 minutes
- Total 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup moong dal (petite yellow lentils)
- 1 inch knob of ginger
- 1 hot green chili (or cayenne to taste 1/4 tsp)
- 1/2 to 1 tsp garam masala (or curry powder)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 3/4 to 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp oil
- 1/3 cup or more water
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro (loosely packed)
- 1 1/2 cup lightly packed finely chopped spinach (or rainbow chard loosely packed)
- 3/4 cup finely chopped red onion (heaped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
Instructions
- 1
Soak the Mung dal in hot water for 15 minutes or 1 hour. Longer works best. Drain and add to blender. Add ginger, chili, garam masala, turmeric, salt, baking powder, oil and 1/4 cup water. Blend to a smooth thick batter. Add more water if needed. Keep the batter thick so it can hold its shape while baking. Thinner batter tends to flatten.
- 2
Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F / 220ºc.
- 3
Add the chopped cilantro, greens, onion and garlic and fold in. Using a Tablespoon or ice cream scoop, drop spoonfuls of the batter on parchment lined baking sheet.
- 4
Lightly spray oil on top. Bake for 17 to 19 minutes until golden on the edges.
- 5
Add sprinkle of chaat masala on the fritters (optional). Serve with chutneys Mint Cilantro Chutney or tomato chutney or ketchup or add to kadhi (non dairy yogurt sauce) or curry.
Notes
Make these in aebleskiver/appe pan: Drop ladlefull of batter in a greased pan over medium heat. Cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, flip and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. For chickpea flour batter: Use 3/4 cup chickpea flour, 1 tbsp rice flour, 2 tbsp non dairy yogurt, 1/3 cup or more water to make a thick batter. Add minced ginger, minced green chile and spices from above. Fold in the cilantro, spinach, onion and other vegetables if using. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes. Make Moong Dal chilla/pancakes: Spread the batter on a skillet over medium heat. drop a few drops of oil on the edges. Cook until golden, flip and cook for a few mins and serve with ketchup or chutneys. Nutritional values based on one serving
Nutrition
- Calories61 kcal
- Carbohydrates8 g
- Protein3 g
- Fat1 g
- Sodium324 mg
- Potassium260 mg
- Fiber3 g
- Sugar1 g
- Vitamin A795 IU
- Vitamin C4.4 mg
- Calcium53 mg
- Iron1.4 mg







