Dal makhani is without a doubt one of the greatest curries around. This is that recipe, but veganified and in a delicious crunchy coat. While not necessarily an authentic Indian snack, this is definitely a good one.
Heat the butter in a medium saucepan and add the whole spices along with the bay leaf. Fry until the cumin seeds start to crackle, then add the ginger and garlic pastes. Cook until the raw smell has gone.
Add the onion along with the chilli and a pinch of salt and fry until golden brown all over. Sprinkle over the flour and mix it into the onions and spices before incrementally pouring over the almond milk + cream, beating it in thoroughly with a whisk or wooden spoon until you've got a thick smooth bubbling sauce.
Add the ground spices and tomato puree, stirring all the while to incorporate into the sauce.
Pour in the (drained) cooked lentils, black beans and kidney beans along with the vegan cream. Crumble the kasuri methi in with your hands and stir it all together. Check the mixture for salt - add more if you wish.
Pour into a 23cm square lined brownie tin, line with clingfilm and place in the fridge to set for a few hours until set.
When set, use a spoon and your hands to shape the dal mixture into logs. Roll them in flour then dip in the flour/water mixture and finally the panko breadcrumbs, shaking off the excess each time.
Heat the oil to 170°C and fry them in batches until golden brown.
Blitz the coriander leaves and lime zest with the oil in a nutribullet or good blender for around a minute. Strain the resulting green oil through a fine mesh blender.
Whisk together aquafaba, mustard, white wine vinegar and slowly drizzle in the green oil. Use the resulting creamy emulsion for delicious dipping purposes.
