Rinse the split green moong dal thoroughly three times, then soak it in water for 5 hours.

To make the spice mix, dry roast cumin seeds, fennel seeds, whole coriander seeds, black peppercorns, and carom seeds in a pan. Let them cool, then crush them into a coarse powder.

Once the dal is soaked, check that it breaks easily when pressed. Drain the water. In a blender, add the dal, garlic, and ginger. Pulse in short bursts to crush—do not add water.

Whisk the mixture in one direction until it becomes fluffy and airy. Add chopped onion and mix well.

Add chopped cilantro, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander-cumin powder, and salt. Mix everything together.

Add chopped green chilies and mix. Add baking soda, then pour hot oil over the mixture and mix well. With wet hands, shape the mixture into vadas and carefully drop them into hot oil to fry.

Fry the vadas in two batches for extra crispiness. After the first fry, remove them and gently press them with a plate. Then, fry them again in hot oil until they are golden and crispy.

Your crispy moong dal vadas are ready! Serve hot with fried green chilies, sliced onions, fresh red chilies, and garlic chutney.