Isso Wade — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Crispy, golden lentil fritters topped with whole marinated shrimp, deep-fried until shattering — Galle Face Green's most famous seaside snack, best eaten piping hot with chili sauce.

Ingredients

1 cup chana dal (split chickpeas), soaked 3 hours
1 onion, finely chopped
2 green chilies, chopped
10 curry leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
12 medium shrimp, cleaned and marinated in turmeric and chili
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Instructions

1 Drain soaked chana dal and grind coarsely — it should have a rough, grainy texture, not smooth.
2 Mix ground dal with onion, green chilies, curry leaves, fennel seeds, chili powder, and salt.
3 Heat oil to 175°C (350°F) for deep frying.
4 Take a small handful of the lentil mixture and flatten into a disc on your palm. Press one marinated shrimp on top.
5 Carefully slide the fritter into hot oil. Fry for 3-4 minutes each side until golden brown and crispy.
6 Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with chili sauce or lunu miris.

Did You Know?

Every evening at Galle Face Green in Colombo, hundreds of isso wade vendors set up their carts, and the entire promenade smells of frying lentils and shrimp — it is arguably Colombo's most iconic experience.