July 16, 2015

Piaju with Dill Raita

Name: Piaju (Dahl Pakora)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup dried, red lentils; 1/4 teaspoon fresh, grated ginger; 3/4 large, yellow onion, diced; 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped; 1/4 serrano pepper, minced; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 teaspoon asafoetida; 1/4 cup plain, Greek yoghurt; 1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced; 1 small clove garlic minced; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon poppy seeds; 2-3 cups frying oil (vegetable or avocado work well here); food processor

Ramadan is coming to an end soon, but I thought I’d go ahead and post this awesome snack! I know I’m about a month too late, but hey, you can have delicious snacks like this after Ramadan too. From what I’ve read, piaju is a pretty standard snack during this month of fasting. They are excellent because they’re small, but filling. Also, they’re fried and delicious.

I used a basic recipe and then changed it up to make it what I want, so this is by no means a standardized version. Also, when I decided to include a “raita,” I totally made up the recipe, so I can’t promise that it stays true to traditional Indian (or Bangladeshi) cooking. The raita is not vegan, but the piaju are.

Piaju (also known as dahl pakora) are little fried lentil-onion balls. They function as a snack, but obviously during a time of fasting such as Ramadan they essentially become a meal. The lentils really do fill you up.

This recipe is supposed to make about 20 balls, but the American in me just couldn’t resist supersizing them, so I only got about ten out of it. This was a perfect meal for two people, but they are sharing portions and easy to eat on the go, so you really could serve this up as a party food. It all depends on your circumstances, but the flexibility is great.

Note: you’ll want a food processor for this recipe.

Piaju (Dahl Pakora)

Course Snack

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Resting Time 1 hour

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Piaju

3/4 cup dried, red lentils
1/4 teaspoon fresh, grated ginger
3/4 large, yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 serrano pepper, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon asafoetida

For the Raita

1/4 cup plain, Greek yoghurt
1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
1 small clove garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon poppy seeds

Misc.

2-3 cups frying oil vegetable or avocado work well here
food processor

Instructions

Form the piaju

Rinse the lentils and soak them in a bowl of hot water for 30 minutes.
While the lentils are soaking, grate the ginger and place it in the bowl of a food processor.
In a second bowl, combine the diced onion, chopped cilantro, minced pepper, and spices.
When the lentils are done soaking, puree them in the food processor with the ginger until a thick paste forms. [You may need to pause and scrape the bowl down.]
Stir the lentils into the onion mixture until a wet dough forms.
Shape into balls, roughly the size of a golf ball.
Chill for 30 minutes in the freezer.

Make the raita

Mix the yoghurt, dill, garlic, and spices in a small bowl until combined.
If raita is too thick for your tastes, you can add a splash of lemon juice or vinegar.

Fry piaju

In your smallest pot, heat 1 1/2 -2 cups of vegetable oil. To test temperature, throw in a crumb. If it sizzles, the oil is ready.
Fry the piaju one or two at a time being careful to keep the oil temperature high.
Let piaju drain on a paper towel.
Serve warm with raita for dipping.