Soak chana dal in water for 4-5 hours to soften it. Discard the water and add chana dal to food processor and add 1 cup ponk, along with garlic, ginger, green chilies, cumin seeds. Process everything in breaks until you get a coarse mixture.

Add coriander seeds too and give it a pulse. I prefer to use mortar and pestle to grind coriander seeds coarsely.

Add chopped green garlic, scallions, cilantro. More herbs the better it will taste. Also add chopped onions. Add dry seasonings too like garam masala, turmeric powder, black pepper, and salt. Give everything a thorough mix.

The mixture will look crumbly and not cohesive. That’s okay. Do not be tempted to add any water. Add lemon juice, chickpea flour and rice flour. Give it another stir. Add remaining ½ cup of ponk kernels. It adds nice texture.

The mixture should come together when you try to form a rough ball, but it should not be watery. You can add a tbsp more of flours. But do not end up adding too much. You should be able to taste chana dal and ponk.

Put some oil in a deep pot for frying on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, fry these in batches until golden brown. Do not fry them on high heat, they might not cook from inside. The heat should be medium throughout.