Masala Vada is made with mixed lentils, and is a wholesome and very
popular vegetarian snack. This is one of those healthy recipes for
everyday food from South India that's rich in protein. This vada also
makes perfect party food.
Servings:4 Cooking Time: 30
minutes (excluding the soaking time for dal)
Ingredients
1/4 cup urad dal (black gram)
1 1/2 cups chana dal (split bengal gram)
1 cup toor dal (red gram)
2 medium onions, finely chopped
5-6 green chillies, finely chopped
3-4 tbsp cilantro (coriander leaves), chopped
6-7 curry leaves, chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds
Oil for deep frying
Salt to taste
Preparation
Soak the dals for 3 hours. Drain the water and in a
blender,
grind
the dals together into a thick, coarse batter, adding only a little
water. The batter should not be watery.
Add the chopped onions, chillies, cilantro, and curry
leaves to the batter.
Add salt to taste.
Heat oil in a deep frying pan. When the oil is hot,
take a small ball of the batter in your palm, flatten it a bit, and
make a hole in the center, as in a doughnut. Drop it into the pan.
Repeat with the remaining batter, reduce the heat to medium, and fry
the vadas until golden brown.
Serve the masala vadas with mint and tamarind dips,
or
ketchup.
Cooking Tips
Salt makes the batter watery, making it difficult to make the balls for
the vadas. So add salt to half the batter first, and when you've used
all of it, add salt to the remaining batter.
For grinding
lentils and grains, use a high-powered blender that can
grind these to a smooth consistency without getting overheated quickly.
(ebook for Kindle)
