Fried Mung Bean Dumplings

Name: Fried Mung Bean Dumplings
Yield: makes 16 to 18 dumplings, serving 4 to 6 as a snack
Ingredients: 1/2 cup yellow split hulled mung beans; 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion; 1 hot green chile, such as Thai or serrano, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger; 2 tablespoons lightly packed chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and stems); 3 tablespoons water; 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon salt; 1/8 teaspoon baking soda; 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose bleached or unbleached flour; Canola or peanut oil, for deep-frying; 1/3 cup Tamarind and Date Chutney (page 220) and/or Green Chutney (page 221)

December 9, 2011

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.

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