Wash the chana dal properly and soak it for an hour.

In a separate container, soak raw rice and urad dal together for an hour or two.

In a pressure cooker, add 1 tsp of ghee to the soaked dal. Cook up to three or four whistles until the dal is done well.

Drain the water completely from the cooked dal. Mash the dal nicely into a soft paste.

In a kadai or heavy wok, cook the mashed dal with jaggery. The jaggery will melt and granulate, turning liquid. Cook until the mixture tightens up into a soft dough. Add cardamom powder, mix well and switch off the flame.

Once cooled, pluck tiny handfuls of the mixture into your palm and gently round them into small balls. Keep aside.

Grind the raw rice and urad dal together. Add a pinch of salt and sugar to the grind.

Add a bit of water to make a thick batter.

Heat oil in a wok. Dip the lentil balls in the thick batter and fry them until they turn evenly crispy and light brown.

Serve hot with ghee on top.

Ishita B Saha

The writer is the author of the culinary travel blog ishitaunblogged.com. She is currently based in Chennai and has been a Dubai resident for two decades.

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