Toram Paruppu Vadai (Pigeon Pea Fritters)

Here's yet another recipe that I made while in NZ, but didn't get around to writing up until well after I'd gotten back to Canada.

These are tasty little fritters with an interesting texture. I have to admit... they don't reheat super well and, even fresh, they weren't the star of the show, but they were still good. Especially with the sauce.

Toram Paruppu Vadai

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

Fritters

• 1 c. skinned split pigeon peas (toovar dal)
• 2-4 dried red arbol, Thai, or cayenne chilies
• 1/4 c. yellow split peas (chana dal), soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
• 1/4 c. finely chopped onion
• 1/4 c. finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground asafetida (hinga)

Sauce

• 1 c. plain yogurt
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 small (~400mL) can diced tomato
• 1-2 fresh green Thai, serrano, or finger chilies, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Thoroughly rinse and drain the pigeon peas.
2. Fill a pot halfway with warm water and add the pigeon peas and chilies. Cover and soak for 1-4 hours.
3. Drain the pigeon peas and chilies and transfer to a food processor.
4. Process to form a somewhat gritty paste and transfer to a bowl.
5. Mix in the soaked split peas, onion, cilantro, salt, and asafetida.
6. With greased hands, shape ~1 Tbsp. of the paste into a tight, round ball. Press into a flattened patty ~1cm thick.
7. Repeat with remaining paste to make ~2 dozen patties in total.
8. Pour some frying oil into a wok and heat to ~180°C (350°F).
9. Line a cookie sheet with paper towels.
10. Once oil is ready, slide a few patties into the hot oil.
11. Fry, turnning occasionally, until they're nicely browned all over (5-7 minutes).
12. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider and place on the paper towel lined baking sheet.
13. Repeat with remaining patties.
14. Meanwhile, combine the yogurt, salt, and water and mix well.
15. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
16. Add the mustard seeds, cover, and cook until seeds stop popping (30-60 seconds).
17. Add the tomatoes, chilies, and cilantro and cook, uncovered, until heated through (~5 minutes).
18. Stir the tomato mixture into the yogurt mixture.
19. To serve, place a few fritters on a plate and spoon a generous portion of the sauce over them.

Palak Pakodi Kadhi (Spinach Fritters in Yogurt Sauce)

I decided to flip through the appetizer section of the curry book to look for dinner inspiration this time. We don't tend to make as many of the recipes out of this chapter since a lot of them are fried, fiddly, insubstantial, or some combination of the above. I felt like I could handle a little fiddly frying this week though, so I planned to make one of the beef appetizers and then picked out these spinach fritters to serve with it. (Two fried dishes, I know! But I figured I might as well go for it while I had the hot oil going.)

Palak Pakodi Kadhi

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

Fritters

• 2 c. chickpea flour, sifted
• 250g fresh spinach leaves, rinsed and chopped
• 2 tsp. bishop's weed/ajwain¹
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. ground cayenne
• 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
• 3/4 c. water²

Sauce

• 1 c. plain yogurt
• 1 c. water
• 1 Tbsp. chickpea flour
• 1 tsp. garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 2-4 fresh green Thai or finger chilies, minced
• 1 Tbsp. ghee or unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds

Directions

Fritters

1. Add enough oil to a wok (or other appropriate vessel) for deep frying and heat to 180°C (350°F).
2. Combine sifted four with chopped spinach, ajwain, salt, cayenne, and turmeric.
3. Pour in water and quickly mix to combine everything and form a thick batter.
4. Use ~1 tsp. of the batter for each fritter. Drop them into the hot oil and cook, turning occasionally, until golden-brown all over.
5. Remove from oil and place on rack or paper towels to drain.

Sauce

1. Meanwhile, combine the yogurt and water and whisk until smooth and homogeneous.
2. Beat in chickpea flour.
3. Fold in garlic paste, salt, turmeric, cilantro, and cilies.
4. Melt the ghee over medium-high heat.
5. Add the cumin seeds to the hot ghee and sizzle for 10-15 seconds.
6. Reduce heat to medium and pour the yogurt mixture into the pot with the cumin and ghee.
7. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened (~15 minutes).

Assembly

1. Place a few fritters on a plate and pour ~1 Tbsp. of sauce over each fritter.
2. If desired, serve with a bit of rice or bread to mop up any extra sauce.
3. Do not pour the sauce over all the fritters at once! (Unless you plan to eat them all very quickly.) The fritters will get soggy if they sit in the sauce for too long, so they should be served immediately.

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¹ Substitute 1 tsp. dried thyme + 1/2 tsp. ground black peppercorns if ajwain is unavailable. ^Back
2 Iyer says to use 1/2 c. water, but I ended up with more of a dough than a batter when I did this. I added an extra 2 Tbsp. or so, but I think a bit more water probably would've been better. Use your judgement. ^Back

The sourdough starter was threatening to climb right out of its jar after I fed it today. I'd already mixed up an overnight waffle sponge from the discard and it was getting pretty late in the day. I needed something that would use up starter and could be whipped up quickly. Something that wasn't bread or cookies or pancakes. This fritter recipe was exactly what the occasion called for.

TF and the Kidlet loved these fritters. I did too, but I think I would've liked them even more if they'd been a little less greasy. They soaked up a lot of oil during cooking. They also stuck like the Dickens! I'm not sure why they stuck so badly. There was lots of oil in the pan and it seemed to be a good temperature, but they were an absolute nightmare to try to pry off the pan and flip. On the bright side, the batter is incredibly easy to mix up. You can have these fritters mixed up and ready to go in the pan in five minutes!

I'm still going to explore other uses for sourdough starter, but this is a good one to keep in my back pocket.

Sourdough Onion Fritters

Slightly adapted from Cultures for Health

Ingredients

• 3/4 c. sourdough starter (100% hydration or more)
• 1/2 Tbsp. cornmeal
• 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 onion, chopped
• fat for frying

Directions

1. Whisk cornmeal, sugar, and salt into starter. Add a little more water if the batter seems too thick.
2. Sprinkle baking powder and baking soda over the batter and whisk it in.
3. Stir in onion.
4. Heat oil (which should be 1-2cm deep) over medium heat.
5. Drop spoonfuls of onion-studded batter into the hot oil.
6. Once the bottoms have browned, flip them over and cook the other side. (Flipping may take some doing. They tend to stick.)
7. Remove from oil and set on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Rasa Vadai (Lentil Fritters in Spicy Tamarind-Lentil Broth)

This curry has a lot of moving parts and definitely isn't something I'd want to attempt on a busy weeknight. It is quite tasty though and it's very satisfying to watch the fritters puff up as they fry. And it was a huge hit with the Kidlet. She wants us to make it all the time now!

Rasa Vadai

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries

Ingredients

Fritters

• 1 c. skinned split black lentils (mapte beans/urad dal)
• 3/4 c. water, divided
• 3/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
• oil for deep frying

Broth

• 1/4 c. skinned split pigeon peas (toovar dal)
• 6 c. water, divided
• 1/2 tsp. + 1 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 Tbsp. uncooked long-grain white rice
• 2 Tbsp. yellow split peas (chana dal)
• 1 tsp. coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns
• 2-3 dried red Thai, cayenne, or arbol chiles
• 1 tsp. tamarind paste or concentrate
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. ground asafetida
• 1 medium tomato, cored and chopped
• 15-20 fresh curry leaves
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

Fritters

1. Rinse the lentils several times, then cover with warn water and let stand at room temperature for 1-4 hours.
2. Drain.
3. Add to blender jar with 1/2 c. water and purée, scraping down sides of blender as needed.
4. Transfer batter back to empty bowl.
5. Pour 1/4 c. water into now empty blender jar and run blender to rinse out any residual batter. Add this watery mixture to the batter in the bowl.
6. Stir in salt.
7. Using spatula, vigorously beat batter for 2-3 minutes to work in as much air as possible.
8. Pour 2-3" of oil into a wok or Dutch oven and heat to ~180°C (350°F).
9. Drop teaspoonfuls of batter into the hot oil and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown all over. You can probably cook 8-10 at a time depending on the size and shape of your vessel. Try not to overcrowd the fritters though.
10. Once cooked, remove the fritters to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Broth

1. Rinse the pigeon peas several times.
2. Combine pigeon peas with 2 c. water and bring to a boil, uncovered. Skim off any foam that forms.
3. Reduce heat to medium or medium-low and simmer, covered, for 20-25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat 1/2 tsp. oil over medium-high heat.
5. Add rice, split peas, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, peppercorns, and chiles and cook until browned but not burnt (2-3 minutes). Immediately transfer to plate to cool.
6. Once toasted spice mixture is cool, transfer to spice grinder and finely grind.
7. Combine the tamarind paste with 4 c. water and mix well.
8. Add ground spice mixture, salt, turmeric, asafetida, tomato, and curry leaves.
9. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
10. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered for 15 minutes.
11. Meanwhile, tansfer cooked pigeon peas and any residual cooking liquid to blender and purée.
12. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil over medium-high heat.
13. Add mustard seeds and cover. Cook until mustard seeds stop popping (30-60 seconds).
14. Dump mustard seeds and oil into tamarind broth.
15. Stir pur&eacue;ed pigeon peas into broth.
16. Add cilantro.

Assembly

1. Once broth and fritters are all cooked, place a few fritters in a bowl or soup plate and ladle a generous quantity of broth over them.
2. Serve immediately.

Mutter Patties

This one is going way back! TF and I made this when we were in the old apartment. So... at least six years ago now.

Mutter Patties
Slightly adapted from 660 Curries
For the Croquettes:
2 c. frozen green peas, thawed and drained
1 small red onion, chopped
3 fresh Thai (bird's eye) chiles
2 Tbsp. ginger paste
1/4 c. rice flour
2 tsp. dhania-jeera masala
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
canola oil (for frying)
1/2 c. unseasoned breadcrumbs

For the Sauce:
1 c. firmly packed cilantro
1/2 c. unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
2 fresh Thai (bird's eye) chiles
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
juice of 1 lime

To Make the Croquettes:
1. Combine the peas, onion, chiles, and ginger paste in a food processor and pulse to mince. (Don't over-process or it will become watery.
2. Transfer pea mixture to a bowl and stir in the flour, cumin-coriander blend, salt, and cilantro.
3. Line a large plate or cookie sheet with several layers of paper towels.
4. Heat ~2 Tbsp. of oil over medium heat.
5. Scoop out ~1/4 c. of the pea mixture, place it in the palm of your hand, and shape it into a ball.
6. Press it into a rough (probably somewhat unmanageable) patty.
7. Sprinkle the patty with breadcrumbs.
8. Fry until brown and crisp on the bottom (5-8 minutes), then flip and cook the other side (another 5-8 minutes).
9. Transfer to the paper-towel lined plate to drain.
10. Repeat with remaining pea mixture.

To Make the Sauce:
1. Combine the cilantro, peanuts, chiles, sugar, and salt in a food processor and process to form a chunky sauce.
2. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in 1 c. water.
3. Scrape sauce into a small saucepan and heat over medium-low, uncovered, until warmed through and slightly thickened (5-7 minutes).
4. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice.

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Adaptations

This one is an easy one!

Vegan-ize It!

For the Croquettes:

2 c. frozen green peas, thawed and drained

1 small red onion, chopped

3 fresh Thai chiles

2 Tbsp. ginger paste

1/4 c. rice flour

2 tsp. dhania-jeera masala

1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

canola oil

1/2 c. uncooked Cream of Wheat (not instant) or vegan breadcrumbs

For the Sauce:

1 c. firmly packed cilantro

1/2 c. unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

2 fresh Thai chiles

3/4 tsp. agave syrup or 1 tsp. vegan granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt

juice of 1 lime

Make It Gluten-Free!

For the Croquettes:

2 c. frozen green peas, thawed and drained

1 small red onion, chopped

3 fresh Thai chiles

2 Tbsp. ginger paste

1/4 c. rice flour

2 tsp. dhania-jeera masala

1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

canola oil

1/2 c. cornmeal or gluten-free breadcrumbs

For the Sauce:

1 c. firmly packed cilantro

1/2 c. unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

2 fresh Thai chiles

1 tsp. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt

juice of 1 lime

Mung aur Chana Dal ke Pakoday (Legume Fritters in a Tomato-Nigella Sauce)

This one is backlogged from quite some time ago, so I'm afraid I don't remember many of the details of making it.

Mung aur Chana Dal ke Pakoday
Slightly adapted from 660 Curries
For the Fritters:
3/4 c. skinned split mung beans
1/3 c. yellow split peas
6 fresh Thai (bird's eye) chiles
4 large cloves garlic
2 lengthwise slices fresh ginger (each 2.5" x 1" x 1/4")
1/2 c. chopped red onion
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
1 tsp. bishop's weed (or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme + 1/4 tsp. black pepper
canola oil (for deep frying)

For the Sauce:
1 Tbsp. mustard oil (or canola oil)
1 tsp. nigella seeds
2 dried Thai or cayenne chiles (stemmed and gently pounded)
1 large tomato, chopped
1 Tbsp. chopped jaggery (or firmly packed brown sugar)
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt

To Make the Fritters:
1. Rinse the beans and peas several times. Drain. Then cover with fresh water and allow to soak, covered, at room temperature, for 1-4 hours.
2. Drain the legumes.
3. Combine drained legumes in a blender with chiles, garlic, ginger, and 1/2 c. water. Puree.
4. Transfer the legume paste to a bowl and fold in the onion, cilantro, and bishop's weed.
5. Pour oil to a depth of 2-3" and heat over medium heat to 350F.
6. Line a plate or cookie sheet with several layers of paper towels.
7. Once the oil is hot, gently add teaspoonfuls of the batter to it and fry 3-5 minutes, turning occasionally.
8. Remove fritters with a slotted spoon and repeat the cooking process with the remaining batter.

To Make the Sauce:
1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
2. Sprinkle in the nigella seeds and chiles and let them sizzle for 10-15 seconds.
3. Add the tomato, jaggery, and salt.
4. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the tomato softens (5-7 minutes).

To Serve:
1. Place 3 fritters on a plate.
2. Spoon ~1/2 tsp. of sauce over each one.