Prep: 15 mins (plus 2 hrs soaking) · Cook: 15 mins · Serves: 4 · Vegan, gluten-free

The fritters Neetu makes for an afternoon snack with a cup of chai, or to put out before dinner when there's a few people round. Soaked moong dal blitzed with onion, ginger, garlic, green chilli and coriander, then dropped in spoonfuls into hot oil until they puff up crispy. The kind of thing you'll find at a chabba wala stall around a shopping bazaar or near an office complex back home. Quick, light, and properly moreish.

Why you'll love this

• Five minutes of prep once the dal is soaked

• Naturally vegan and gluten-free

• Crispy outside, soft inside

• A blank canvas for any of the chutneys

• Easy to scale up for a gathering

Ingredients

Main

• 1 cup moong dal, soaked for 2 hours then drained

• 2 fresh green chillies, chopped

• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste

• 2 tbsp onion, finely chopped (optional)

• 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

• Oil for deep frying

Spices

• ½ tsp turmeric powder

• ¼ tsp asafoetida powder

• 1 tsp coriander powder

• ½ tsp red chilli powder

• ½ tsp carom seeds

• Salt, to taste

To serve

• A jar of Mama Sood's Chutney of your choice

Method

• Add the onion, ginger garlic paste, green chillies and fresh coriander to a blender jar. Blitz for a minute until you get a chunky mixture.

• Add the drained moong dal to the same jar and blend for another couple of minutes, until you have a slightly coarse paste.

• Tip the mixture into a bowl. Stir through the turmeric, asafoetida, coriander powder, red chilli powder, carom seeds and salt until evenly combined.

• Heat oil in a deep pan over a medium heat. Test the temperature by dropping in a tiny bit of mixture. If it rises to the surface within a few seconds and sizzles, the oil is ready.

• Use a spoon or your fingers to drop small balls of the mixture into the oil. Don't overcrowd the pan.

• Fry for a few minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp all over.

• Lift onto kitchen paper to drain.

• Serve hot with chutney on the side.

Serving suggestion A plate of warm fritters with chutney for an afternoon snack with chai. Piled onto a fresh mooli and carrot salad as a light lunch. Or built into bhalla papari chaat with yoghurt, tamarind, sev and chopped onions for something more substantial.

Mama's tip Don't skip the soak. Two hours minimum, longer if you have it. Properly soaked moong dal blends into a soft, even paste that holds its shape in the oil. Under-soaked dal stays grainy and the fritters fall apart as soon as they hit the heat. Cover the dal with cold water in the morning if you're planning fritters in the evening.

About the chutney The fritters are the canvas, the chutney is the picture. Each Mama Sood's chutney brings a different finish. Apple gives you sweet, fruity warmth. Date & Tamarind goes deep and tangy. Chilli pushes fresh green heat. Tomato & Pineapple brings tangy and bright. Set out a few small bowls and let people dip as they like.

Variations

• With vegetables: stir grated carrot, finely chopped spinach or grated courgette into the mixture for moong dal pakoras

• Hotter: add an extra green chilli or bump the red chilli powder

• Air fryer: shape into small balls, brush lightly with oil, and air-fry at 200°C for 10 to 12 minutes, shaking halfway

• For chaat: flatten the mixture into discs instead of balls, fry, and use as the base for bhalla papari with yoghurt and tamarind