Masala Vada

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.

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