Moong Dal Paddu
Crisp-outside, soft-inside dumplings cooked in Karnataka's paddu (paniyaram) pan, made from a moong-dominant batter so they are higher in protein than the usual rice-urad version.
- Region
- Karnataka
- Status
- Adaptation — moong dal as the main batter base
- Diet label
- Strictly vegetarian, egg-free
- Time
- Soak 3 h · Rest 30 min · Prep 10 min · Cook 20 min
- Serves
- 3 (6 paddu each)
- Difficulty
- Easy (needs a paddu or appe pan)
- Good for
- Tea-time, tiffin, children's snack box
- Tags
- High protein · Soy-free · Whey-free · Gluten-free* · No added sugar · Meal-prep friendly
- Allergens
- Milk (curd)
Nutrition (estimated)
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Headline values are per serving, as written.
| kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Sat fat | Fibre | Total sugars | Protein per 100 kcal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per serving | 230 | 12 g | 33 g | 5 g | 1 g | 6 g | 3 g | 5.5 g |
High protein. Values checked against IFCT 2017 on 14 Oct 2026.
Ingredients
- 110 g yellow moong dal · 25 g urad dal · 25 g raw rice
- 50 g curd · ¼ tsp baking soda · 3 g salt
- 50 g onion and 40 g carrot, finely chopped · 8 curry leaves · 1 green chilli · 1 tsp grated ginger · 2 tbsp coriander
- 10 g groundnut oil (2 tsp) for the pan
Method
- Soak dals and rice together for 3 hours. Drain.
- Grind with curd and 50–60 ml water to a thick batter that drops from a spoon in a ribbon. Rest 30 minutes.
- Stir in salt, vegetables, curry leaves, chilli, ginger, coriander and, just before cooking, the baking soda.
- Heat the paddu pan on medium. Put a few drops of oil in each cavity.
- Fill each cavity three-quarters full. Cover and cook 3 minutes until the base is golden.
- Turn each paddu with a skewer; cook 2 minutes more, uncovered, until golden all over.
- Serve hot with coconut or tomato chutney.
Protein optimisation
- Moong dal supplies 9 g per serving, urad 2 g, rice and curd 1 g.
- Boost: serve with peanut chutney (20 g peanuts per serving: +5 g protein, +115 kcal).
Variations, serving and storage
- Regional: Chettinad kuzhi paniyaram — add 1 tsp chana dal to the tempering and a pinch of crushed pepper.
- Substitution: use leftover B13 ragi-moong dosa batter.
- Storage: batter keeps 24 hours refrigerated; cooked paddu are best warm, 1 day refrigerated.
- Food safety: refrigerate batter if not used within 4 hours.
- Meal prep: good.
Nutrition values are estimates calculated from the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR-NIN) and typical product labels. They have not been laboratory-analysed and will vary with your ingredients, brands and cooking. Recipes are for healthy adults and are general information only, not a substitute for advice from a doctor or qualified dietitian. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, cooking for children, have food allergies, or live with kidney disease, diabetes or any other medical condition, please take professional advice about your diet. From the collection Protein-Rich India by Dr. Shantanu Deshpande · drshantanudeshpande.com