Wash and soak dal in 3 cups of water for 2-3 hours. .
Using very little water, grind dal with the green chili, onion, ginger, cumin , asafoetida , salt, garam masala and red chilly powder.
Add cilantro to the batter and beat it for 2-3 minutes with a wooden spoon to make the batter light and soft. Add water if necessary. A thick batter will result in hard pakodis.
Heat oil in a frying pan on medium high heat. Place about 1 tbsp of batter into the oil and fry till golden brown.
Fry the pakodis in small batches. The pakodis should be crispy from outside and soft inside.