Bohri Bazaar lentil dumplings with spicy tamarind and yogurt from Andaza

This recipe is based on my mother’s lentil fritters, with all the toppings from the Bohri Bazaar version. You should be able to find urid daal, carom seeds (ajwain), tamarind sauce, chaat masala, sev and papri in Asian shops or online.

Bohri Bazaar lentil dumplings with spicy tamarind and yogurt

Serves

Serves 6–8

Prep Time:

30 minutes

Cooking Time:

25 minutes

Ingredients

200 g (1 cup) urid daal
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, roasted in a dry frying pan
1 teaspoon chilli powder
salt, to taste
pinch of carom seeds (ajwain)
400 ml (14 fl oz) sunflower oil

300 g (10½ oz) full-fat Greek-style yoghurt
1 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar
¼ teaspoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon dried mint
salt, to taste

1 small red onion, finely chopped (to soften the strong onion aroma, soak in water for 10 minutes, drain and dry on paper towel)
2–3 tablespoons ready-made tamarind sauce
1 teaspoon chaat masala
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, roasted in a dry frying pan and ground
1 green chili, deseeded and finely chopped
1 cm (½ inch) ginger, cut into fine strips
7–8 mint sprigs, leaves picked and chopped
handful of coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped
4 tablespoons sev (crisp, savoury noodles made with chickpea flour)
handful of papri (crunchy discs made with wheat flour), crushed

Directions

Step 1
To make the dumplings, put the daal into a bowl of water and leave in a warm place overnight. The next day, the soaked daal should have a fermented smell and the water should appear bubbly; if not, leave it a little longer.
Step 2
Drain the daal, reserving the soaking water. Put the daal into a food processor with the cumin seeds, chili powder and salt and blend to a fine paste. The texture should resemble thick hummus: if the batter is very thick, add 1 teaspoon of the reserved soaking water. Add the carom seeds and mix well, then set aside for 10 minutes.
Step 3
Heat the oil in a wok or heavy-based saucepan until it reaches 180°C (350°F) on a deep-frying thermometer, or until a cube of bread sizzles in 30 seconds, then reduce the heat to very low. (The idea is not to have the oil so hot that it will burn the outside of the fritter before the inside is cooked.) Have a bowl of cool water nearby.
Step 4
Working in batches of 3–4 at a time, drop teaspoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil (a teaspoon is enough, as the dumplings will double in size as they cook and you are looking to create a flattish, round fritter). Keep the fritters moving in the hot oil so they cook evenly – if you carefully make a small hole in each fritter with the tip of a knife, they will cook faster too.
Step 5
As soon as the fritters are nicely browned on the outside and cooked through, lift them out and immediately drop into the bowl of water. Leave them for 2 minutes, then remove and use your hands to gently squeeze out the excess water.
Step 6
When all the dumplings are ready, arrange them in a serving dish. For the yogurt topping, whisk all the ingredients together. Pour onto thedumplings, then garnish with the red onion, tamarind sauce, chaat masala, chili powder, ground cumin, chili, ginger, mint, coriander, sev and papri.
Step 7
Serve at room temperature.