By Aditi Saraswat
May 18, 2026
Crispy from outside and soft from within, masoor dal tikki makes for a quick, high-protein breakfast that needs no potatoes or deep frying. These tikkis can be prepared by mixing soaked dals, spices and herbs, making them perfect for evening tea snacks or as a light summer meal.
1 cup masoor dal (soaked 3 hours) 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 green chillies, chopped 1 tbsp ginger, grated 2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped ½ tsp cumin powder ½ tsp red chilli powder ½ tsp garam masala Salt to taste 2 tbsp besan 1 tbsp oil for shallow frying
Wash and soak masoor dal for at least two to three hours until it turns soft.
Drain the dal thoroughly, then grind to a coarse texture to make crisp, textured tikkis.
To the batter, mix chopped onions, green chillies, ginger, coriander, besan and basic spices.
Grease your palms lightly and shape the mixture into medium-sized flat tikkis. Keep them a bit thinner so that it gets cooked evenly and become crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
Take a flat pan and heat minimal oil in it, then cook the tikkis slowly from both sides until they turn deeply golden with a bit of crunch around the edges.
Once fried, serve the masoor dal tikkis with mint chutney, curd or ketchup. You can also add it inside wraps or burgers for a quick protein meal.