Crispy Lentil Fritters - Kunukku

Yay! Guess what, my mom is visiting US! She landed Chicago last week and will be here for another 2 months. There is going to be lot of traveling and tourism. But it also means I am going to be living in ‘Yummyville’ for the next couple of months. Nothing says ‘ home’ like a mom cooked food!

There are so many recipes that my mom perfected over many years that has always been our family and friends’ favorite. One such dish is what we call ‘Kunukku’ in South India, which is nothing but ‘Lentil Fritters’! These are fried goodies that can be made from leftover adai (south indian lentil crepe) bater.This dish is a big hit among my friends in school and college. I can still remember the days I used to prepare for school/college tests with my friends at home all day long and my mom’s evening snacks was the much-awaited time of the day! These fritters along with a cup of coffee made a perfect end to the day!

Okay, let me stop my ramble here and jump into the process of making these yummy fritters!

Ingredients :

1. Raw Rice - 1 cup

2. Idli Rice  - 1 cup

3. Toor Dhal - 3/4 cup

4. Channa Dhal - 3/4 cup

5. Urad Dhal - 1/4 cup

6. Red Chili   -  7- 8 (as per taste)

7. Asafoetida - a pinch

8. Salt - as per taste

9. Onion and cilantro  - optional

10.Oil - as needed for deep frying

All mentioned ingredients will be available in any Indian/Asian grocery store.

Method :

 1. Soak the raw rice, idli rice , toor dhal, channa dhal, urad dhal,red chili in water for an hour or two.

2. Grind the soaked ingredients with little water to a coarse batter.Do not add too much water. Make sure you do not grind it too fine.The consistency should be like a thick batter.

3. Add salt, asafoetida, onion, cilantro to the batter and mix well.

4. Heat the oil for deep frying.Once the oil is hot, drop small portions of the batter to the oil. Do not fry before the oil is completely hot.

5. Serve them hot. It needs no accompaniment but if needed, you can serve them with chutney or even sauce.