- Soak the chana dal in water for 2 – 3 hours. Soak the meal maker in hot water for 30 minutes and squeeze all excess water. Grind them in a blender and set aside. Drain and grind the chana dal, garlic cloves, green chillies, curry leaves and ginger to a coarse paste by using a little water. Combine the finely chopped onions, meal maker, chana dal mixture, salt and turmeric powder in a wide bowl and mix very well. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Take lemon size ball of chana dal mixture, flatten them a little and deep fry them in hot oil till golden color on both sides evenly. Remove and place them on a tissue paper. Serve hot with tomato ketchup.