Moong Dal Namkeen - Salted Crunchy Fried Moong Dal Snack

Moong Dal Namkeen | Salted Crunchy Fried Moong Dal Snack.Each spoonful of this festive moong dal namkeen is generously seasoned with salt and pepper.

Recipe Source Link:https://www.mygingergarlickitchen.com/moong-dal-namkeen/

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RECIPE INGREDIENTS

» For Soaking Moong Dal:

• 1/2 cup moong dal
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Water

» For Cooking Moong Dal:

• Oil for deep frying

» For Salted Moong Dal Namkeen Seasoning:

• Salt & pepper to taste

» For Masala Moong Dal Namkeen Seasoning:

• Salt to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon chaat masala powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder), or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon amchoor powder (dried mango powder)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder (kali mirch powder)

RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS

» For Soaking Moong Dal:

1. Rinse 1/2 cup moong dal at least 3-4 times.
2. Soak moong dal in a large bowl with 2 cups of water and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and mix everything well. (The idea is to soak the dal completely in the liquids. Add more water if needed. The liquid should be about 1-2 inch above the moong dal.)
3. Soak it for at least for 5-6 hours or overnight.
4. Once soaked well, drain the excess water from it, rinse again with the clean water using a strainer / sieve. Shake off the excess water.
5. Arrange this dal on a muslin cloth in a single layer to pat dry it.
6. Let it air dry in a shade for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. There shouldn?t be any moisture when you fry moong dal, so try to get them as dry as possible.

» For Frying Moong Dal Namkeen:

1. Now heat vegetable / frying oil in a deep pan over medium heat.
2. Fry moong dal in a steel strainer in small batches. Keep stirring the dal occasionally, this step would prevent dal from sticking.
3. Deep fry moong dal on medium heat for 7-8 minutes or until it turns crisp.
4. Drain fried moong dal onto an absorbent paper to remove the excess oil.
5. Add desired spices when dal is slightly warm, and mix well. Cool completely and store moong dal namkeen in an air-tight container.
6. Serve moong dal namkeen with hot rose masala chai or cafe mocha.

» For Baking Moong Dal Namkeen:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C. Line a baking tray with a foil or a parchment paper.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of oil, some salt to the soaked moong dal and toss all the ingredients.
3. Transfer this moong dal into the prepared baking tray and spread well to arrange them in a single layer.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned in the preheated oven. Keep stirring every 10-12 minutes. Keep a close eye after 15-18 minutes to avoid any burning.
5. Turn off the oven and let the baked moong dal cool inside the oven for 8-10 minutes. Take it out of the oven.
6. Add desired spices for seasoning with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and stir everything well.
7. Let the dal cool completely before storing in an airtight container. This would last for up to a week.

RECIPE NOTES

1. Soaking moong dal for at least 4-5 hours or more is a must. I always soak moong dal overnight, and it swells up nicely and gives me great results.
2. Air dry moong dal to remove all the dampness from the dal. Dal might splutter in the oil while frying if there is any moisture left. Also, they won?t turn crisp.
3. Adding some baking soda while soaking makes dal perfectly crispy and gives it the desired texture. So I would recommend using it in this recipe.
4. Moong Dal Namkeen is a Deep-fried snack. But instead of deep frying, you can bake and air fry moong dal namkeen.
5. For air frying moong dal namkeen, follow the same recipe and instead of deep frying, air-fry them according to the manufacturer?s instructions.
6. Always try to fry moong dal using a steel strainer. This way it would be easier to take out the fried moong dal from hot oil.
7. Moong dal namkeen stays fresh for months when stored in airtight container at room temperature.
8. Add the seasoning to dal when the dal is slightly warm. This way it would take in the flavors beautifully.
9. The seasoning I used is for salted moong dal namkeen. I have also given the recipe of seasoning for making Haldirams style masala moong dal namkeen in the recipe box on this page.