Yesterday’s live cookery class was a lot of fun. We headed over to the East of India and cooked up delicious Bengali style lentil pakoras.
Lentil pakoras are made all over India in a variety of ways. The types of lentil, spices and texture profiles are tweaked from region to region and they’re all absolutely delicious.
I made a couple of tweaks to the classic Bengali “Daler Bora” (sorry Bengalis – it’s the North Indian in me!) and hope you enjoy the recipe. If you are deep frying for the first time, have a look back at the live class as I broke down how to fry without fear! I also shared plenty of tips on how to ensure your pakoras are perfectly cooked on the inside and nice and crispy on the outside.
Do let me know how you get on with making these and how they turn out for you. Dipped into your favourite chutney or dipping sauce, they’re a hit with children and oldies alike!
Also, I am working on something *incredibly exciting*. I can’t say anything yet, however if you’re a spice lover and like the idea of mastering Indian cuisine you WILL want to sign up to my new exclusive mailing list. That way, you’ll be the first to know when I do make the grand reveal!
In the mean time, happy cooking! The next live is on 10th July! x
Bengali Lentil Pakoras
Equipment
- small wok or wide sauce pan
- slotted spoon
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup approx 165g masoor/split red lentils washed 3-4 times & soaked for 2 hours in water
- 2 cms ginger grated
- 1 large clove garlic grated
- 1-2 green chillies finely chopped
- 1 1/4 tsp salt or according to taste
- 2 tsp whole coriander seeds coarsely crushed in a pestle and mortar (you can also use coriander powder)
- 1/2 tsp amchur mango powder optional
- 1/2-1 tsp chilli flakes according to taste
- Handful fresh coriander leaves finely chopped
- 1 small onion (90g) finely diced
- Oil for deep frying sunflower/vegetable oils work well
Instructions
- Soak the lentils in water for a couple of hours. Then rinse well and drain.
- Measure 1/4 cup or 40-50mls of water and keep aside. Add the lentils to a blender along with half the amount of the water. Blend together. Then scrape down the sides of the blender jug and a little more water and blend again .You may need to repeat this once again.
- Aim for the dal paste to be the consistency of a thick hummus. It can be a little grainy but should hold its form.You may need to adjust the water amount to achieve this so judge accordingly.
- Heat oil in your pan (small wok work best) on low/medium heat.
- Using a spatula, remove the lentil paste from the processor and add to a mixing bowl. Then add the ginger, chilli, salt, dry spices, fresh coriander and using your hand mix well. Finally, add the onions and mix again.
- When the oil is hot, place 1 tablespoon of the batter into the oil. The pakora should come up to the top of the oil. Carefully shape and add more pakoras to the oil. Cook in small batched being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for a couple of minutes on a medium heat. Use your slotted spoon to gently turn them over every 10 seconds or so. When you see them turn light golden in colour, increase your heat setting to high and cook until fully golden. (It should take about 5 minutes in total).
- Remove from oil with a slotted spoon. Allow the oil to drain off the pakoras fully. Then place on kitchen paper. Lower the heat and allow the oil to cool sightly before you do the next batch. Repeat and enjoy with your favourite dipping sauce!