Kachdee / Lentil Fritters

couple of weeks ago it rained here almost each day of the week as it got colder and colder. We even had to turn on the heat in the house which by the way is quite unusual for around here. One evening as I sat at my workstation looking through the big window at the drizzle outside, it had me completely nostalgic of the rainy evenings back at home in India. It used to get pretty cold there too and we used to huddle up in blankets. Those cold evenings where when we really craved for spicy and fried food to perk us up.

Kachdee is a traditional Bihari (from the Bihar region of India) snack. If belongs to the Pakora family except it is made with chana daal (Bengal gram lentil). It is basically a coarsely ground lentil paste mixed with spices and deep fried to get a nice crispy exterior.
Everyone in the family was a fan, dad and grandpa alike and so were we. So while we snuggled up in our blankets, one of us would innocently suggest "wouldn't it be nice if we could get some nice hot Kachdee from somewhere" and mom, a good sport as she always is when it came to cooking, would willingly volunteer to fry up some.
I still love 'em. Hubby is not a big fan of pakoras so I do not make them very often but this time around I just could not resist.

 Ingredients:
Chana daal( Yellow lentils) ......... 1 cup (soaked in water for 4-6 hours)
Onion .................................... 1/2 small chopped very fine
Green Chilli ............................ 2-4 chopped or to taste
Cumin seeds ........................... 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida ( hing) ..................... 2 pinches (optional)
Cilantro ................................. 2 tbsp chopped
Turmeric .......................... 1/4 tsp
Salt .................................. to taste
Oil for deep frying
Method:
1. Drain all the water from the lentils and grind in a blender or food processor to a coarse paste (you should still see quite a few whole lentil pieces) using very little water, about 1-2 tbsp.
2. Take out of the blender into a mixing bowl and mix all the other ingredients.
3. Heat oil in a deep frying pan or kadhai on medium heat. Drop carefully about a tbsp of the batter in the hot oil. Deep fry till golden brown and crisp on all sides. Drain on a paper towel. Repeat till all the dough is finished.
4. Serve with ketchup or cilantro or mint chutney. ENJOY!

 

Notes:
1. When deep frying, the oil must be at medium heat. If the oil is too hot, the fritters will disintegrate, if too cold, they will not cook through and will not be crispy.

 

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