Dal Pakora – An Irresistible Affair

Lentils aka Dal – One of the healthiest food on earth. It makes a complete meal full of all the nutritional benefits comprising of Vitamins, Minerals etc. Lentils are an excellent source of molybdenum and folate. They are a very good source of dietary fiber, copper, phosphorus and manganese. Additionally they are a good source of iron, protein, vitamin B1, pantothenic acid, zinc, potassium and vitamin B6.

[ Source: http://www.whfoods.com ]

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Lentils are believed to have originated in central Asia, having been consumed since prehistoric times. They are one of the first foods to have ever been cultivated. Lentil seeds dating back 8000 years have been found at archaeological sites in the Middle East. Lentils were mentioned in the Bible both as the item that Jacob traded to Esau for his birthright and as a part of a bread that was made during the Babylonian captivity of the Jewish people. [ Source: http://www.whfoods.com ]

For millennia, lentils have been traditionally been eaten with barley and wheat, three foodstuffs that originated in the same regions and spread throughout Africa and Europe during similar migrations and explorations of cultural tribes. Before the 1st century AD, they were introduced into India, a country whose traditional cuisine still bestows high regard for the spiced lentil dish known as dal. In many Catholic countries, lentils have long been used as a staple food during Lent. Currently, the leading commercial producers of lentils include India, Turkey, Canada, China and Syria.

[ Source: http://www.whfoods.com ]

We, in India, live on Dal ( Lentils ) and Rice in almost 90% of the Indian Households. We all just love it and make sure to incorporate it in our diet for almost 4 times a week but for our parents and older generations – Dal and Rice is the main food and they eat it for almost 7 days a week during the lunch hours. 🙂 Whether in North India, South India, East India or the West India, every one has his own form of consuming this super healthy food.

This time our 110th Foodie Monday Theme being #Lentils, I wanted to prepare something different yet delicious…

Gave a lot of thought and then finally decided to prepare Dal Pakoda along with Peanute Seasame Dip. Let’s have a look on the recipe!

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 10 mins + 3 hours of Dal Soaking

Cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients

1 cup each – Chana Dal, Urad Dal, Moong Dal
1 medium sized onion – Finely chopped
2 green chillies – Finely chopped
2 cloves garlic – Grated
1 inch ginger – Grated
1 cup curry leaves
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Kashmiri Mirch
Salt as per taste
Oil for frying

Method

Soak the dals together for 4 hours. Drain the water
Keep 3 tbsp of dal aside and grind rest of the dals together
Add all the ingredients together and mix well
Make a thick mixture. Do not add water. If needed just add 1-2 tsp
Heat the oil
Take batter in a spoon and put one by one in oil
Fry them well till crisp
Serve hot with Peanut Sesame Chutney.

For Peanut Sesame Chutney

Roast Peanuts, Curry Leaves, Onion, Urad Dal, Sesame Seeds together for 3-4 minutes on high. Let it cool down. Put Astofieda, Salt, Amchoor Powder, Pinch of Black pepper and 2 spoons water. Blend it well.