If you love crispy snacks with big flavour and minimal effort, these Burmese Dhal Fritters are for you. Known as a popular and much-loved street food in Burma/Myanmar, these fritters are crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and incredibly satisfying.

They’re made with chana dhal (yellow split peas) and fragrant aromatics like shallots, ginger, fresh chillies, and curry leaves. Served with a bold tamarind dipping sauce, this dish hits all the right notes — sweet, sour, salty, and spicy.

Best of all? This recipe is plant-based, suitable for vegans and vegetarians, high in protein, and very beginner-friendly. Perfect as a snack, appetizer, or party food for game night.

INGREDIENTS

Chana Dhal or Yellow split peas - 2 cups (dry)

Salt - 1 tbsp

Sugar or MSG - 1/2 tbsp

Garam Masala (optional) - 1/2 tbsp

Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp

Grated ginger - 1/2 tbsp

Shallots - 65g

Curry Leaves - 5g

Fresh Chillis - 7 or to taste

Cooking oil - 1 cup or enough to submerge the fritters

DIPPING SAUCE

Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp

Water - 1/2 cup

Garlic - 1 clove

Chilli Sauce - 1 tbsp

Fish Sauce - 1 tbsp or salt (vegan) - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1/2 tbsp

Fresh chillis - 3 or to taste

Coriander - 1 bunch

GARNISH (optional)

Curry Leaves - 3g

Dried red chillis - 7-10

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

PREPARING THE INGREDIENTS

Dice 65g of shallots (about 4-5 small shallots)
Roughly chop a few branches of curry leaves (5g). Ensure that you remove the leaves from the stems before chopping as the stems are very hard and not edible.
Roughly chop 10-15 green and red Birdseye chillis

PREPARING THE CHICKPEA / CHANA DHAL

or this recipe, I’m using yellow split peas, also known as chana dhal. Place 2 cups of the dhal into a large bowl and rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear. Cover with cold water and soak overnight, or for at least 8 hours.

After soaking, the dhal will expand slightly and become soft enough to break apart easily with your fingers. Drain well, then transfer to a food processor. Pulse until the dhal is roughly broken, but not yet a smooth paste.

Remove about 20% of the mixture and set it aside — this will be added back later to give the fritters extra texture. Continue blending the remaining dhal until it forms a thick paste, adding a couple of tablespoons of water if needed.

Transfer the paste to a large mixing bowl and stir in the reserved dhal. Season with salt, sugar or MSG, garam masala (optional), and a tiny pinch of baking soda. The baking soda helps the fritters puff up during frying.

Cover the mixture and let it rest for 30 minutes.

After resting, add the aromatics: grated ginger, diced shallots, roughly chopped curry leaves, and thinly sliced fresh chillies. I’m using green chillies for aroma and red bird’s eye chillies for heat. I used 7 chillies, but feel free to adjust the amount to suit your spice preference.

Mix everything well using your hands. Scoop the mixture and roll it into bite-sized balls, then gently flatten them slightly to form fritters. Be careful not to squeeze them too tightly — this helps keep the fritters light and fluffy.

Heat oil in a pan, using enough oil to cover the fritters at least halfway. Once the oil is hot, carefully place the fritters into the oil one by one. They are quite fragile at this stage and can break easily.

Do not touch them for the first 2 minutes until they have set. Then gently flip and fry the other side. Continue frying for another 2-3 minutes, or until the fritters are golden brown and crispy.

Fry in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, which helps them cook evenly and stay crispy.

Once all the fritters are cooked, use a small sieve to remove any debris from the oil. Then quickly fry curry leaves and dried chillies to create a fragrant, crunchy garnish.

This step is optional but highly recommended — it adds amazing aroma and texture. The whole process takes no more than 30 seconds, so keep a close eye on it.

PREPARING THE DIPPING SAUCE

In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of tamarind paste with ½ cup of water until well combined. Grate in 1 garlic clove, then add 1 tablespoon of your favourite chilli sauce — I’m using ABC Extra Hot Chilli Sauce.

Next, add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, or 1 teaspoon of salt for a vegan option. Stir in ½ tablespoon of sugar, followed by fresh chillies. I’m using 3–4 chillies, but feel free to adjust the amount to suit your heat preference.

Finally, add roughly chopped coriander — I’m using one small bunch. Mix everything well, give it a taste, and adjust the seasoning to your liking.