Vada curry – The name itself tempts us a lot right? But I have tried this only once before. The reason is fennel. My family does not like fennel, so kept postponing trying this. But When Raji told this recipe it sounded simple to try. I have not tasted vada curry before, so was very clueless about the taste and outcome. But the garlic, fennel in the curry with the vada along with the flaovur of coriander leaves and curry leaves is simply superb. You can make use of the left over masala vadai too. The next day it can make you a side dish for your breakfast.
Vada curry recipe
Recipe Cuisine: Indian | Recipe Category: Side dish
Prep Time: 3 hours soaking time | Cook time: 20 mins | Serves: 3
Prep Time: 3 hours soaking time | Cook time: 20 mins | Serves: 3
Ingredients
Channa dal/ Kadala paruppu – 1/2 cup
Onion – 2
Garlic – 6 flakes
Sambar powder – 2 tsp
Turmeric – 1/8 tsp
Green chilli – 2
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Coriander leaves – 1 tblsp
Salt – as needed
Onion – 2
Garlic – 6 flakes
Sambar powder – 2 tsp
Turmeric – 1/8 tsp
Green chilli – 2
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Coriander leaves – 1 tblsp
Salt – as needed
*Left over masala vadas can be used, use 6 vadais
To temper
Oil – 1 tbsp
Cinnamon – 1 small piece
Cloves – 2
Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp
Bay leaf – 1
Cinnamon – 1 small piece
Cloves – 2
Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp
Bay leaf – 1
Method
- Soak dal for 3 hours, drain water and grind to a paste. Add little water while grinding if needed. Cube onion and peel garlic and cut into two, slit the green chillies and keep aside.
- Mix salt accordingly in this and mix well. Make bite sized pakodas/ vada out of it, no need to worry about the shape. Deep fry in oil until cooked.
- Heat a pan with oil and season with the items given under ‘To temper’ table. Add fennel seeds lastly and wait until it splutters. Add cubed onion, garlic and fry till golden brown here and there.
- Add 1 and 1/2 cups of water, turmeric, sambar powder, required salt and bring to boil.
- Add the prepared vadas and simmer and boil for 5-8 minutes in medium flame.
- Boil until the vadas gets soft and gets absorbed well in the gravy. Stir in such a way to mash it if needed to get a thick curry. Garnish with coriander leaves and curry leaves.
Notes
- Adding half the salt in the vada and half in the gravy is must. Otherwise the taste wont be homogenous.
- The key is to get the vadas soaked well in the gravy and get soft. The vada should not be hard. So make sure the vada batter is soft and if you want can add a pinch of cooking soda in the vada batter.
- Simmer and cook to get the soft texture.
- Left over vadas works great for this recipe. You can also steam the vadas instead of deep frying. The result wont be changed.
Serve hot with Dosa the best. Idli also gets matched with this well. I can even eat as such 
As u said the name itself even tempts me..When ever we go to Kanchi or Chennai we do not miss ordering the vada curry to pair with our idli n dosas…looks yumm
Superb….. But when i use to do it, the vadas are not absorbed by the gravy. Do i need to half fry the vadas?
I've tasted it once at a friend's place with dosa.Never knew what the ingredient was but I absolutely loved the taste.I somehow always thought vada curry was made with Medu vada:)
i love this so much.. earlier many hotels served this dish.. but now its out of the menu..looks so good..
instead of frying 🙂 just steam it as we do it for oosli ! its also delicious !
one of my fave chettinad dishes 🙂
vada curry looks perfect and tempting dear…
I steam it instead of frying, will try this way 🙂
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mouth watering dear
Yummy vada curry,sleeping in my draft for all…luks tempting:)
Though i have tasted this, never tried at home and i don't know how to make it too. Sounds interesting. Nice clicks
I love this, can eat everyday and now that you tempted me I should make again …looks yum
My favourite with idly or dosa. I steam it instead of frying. We also add tomatoes to the gravy.
Vada – curry … an absolute classic..:)
The best combo dish for idlis and dosais.. beautiful preparation and presentation..:)
Reva
Sangee … You should cook it. So you have to fry it till it gets cooked properly. try Boiling for long time and simmer it to get it juicy. The vada should not be hard. Grind it not too coarse, not too fine. That will work. Make/ break the vada to small pieces.
Hubby loves this with dosa… Its been a long time since I made it. Looks so tempting
delicious and inviting
I too have in archive , i add tomatoes too and make it slighlty watery as sen loves tat way.. tempting cliks as always 🙂
have been wanting to make this good you posted the recipe!will try soon!
Yummy side for puris…I love this so much…tempting clicks…
Yummilicious! I grind the onions and have it with a bit of thinner gravy. but I would like this semi dry as you have shown too, got to make this sometime.
Looks absolutely mouthwatering!!
Makes me nostalgic, havent had since a long.My grandma's signature dish.
Thought of tasting for a long time but never tried till now.Mouthwatering.
Your pics makes me hungry now…loved ur version…once i tried Revathy Shanmugam's recipe…will try this soon!
luks wonderfully done..yummy.
BTW plz viist my space n check out my new FB page.Thanks in advance..
Maha
My Favourite dish. Wonderful clicks 🙂
Curry looks delicious and mouthwatering.
my all time favorite for idli…:)wonderful pics
I have been thinking of doing this for the past few months till time hasn't come for me looks lovely raks.
My favorite side dish for idli. Looks inviting.
Vardhini
Event: Bake Fest
Hi
This is vilasini. There is another option too, instead frying you make it steamed in idly pot. add red chilly and sombu with that dal grind it and make balls. Steam that and mash it
add oil in kadai, add seasoning items like patta, krambu, birinji leaves, and sombu, add onion, ginger garlic paste, tomato one by one fry it, add chilly powder, dania powder and still fry it as it for gravy. add cups of water let it boil and mashed balls and make it sim for ten minutes until become thick gravy.
add pudina leaves, coriander leaves finaly
Looks absolutely yum….mouth waters now 🙂
nice leftover recipe for a curry
Hi Raks,
How are you doing? This dish looks very lovely..I am guessing it must taste yummy with khichdi also and with dosas. Lovely clicks!!
Shobha
vada curry looks perfect and delicious… mouth watering…
Iam from Saidapet ,which is the place famous for vadakari.this is the favorite dish in my inlaws house.
We steam the grinded channadal paste and powder it like we do for Ukarai .we also add ginger garlic paste
While sauting onion.redchilli powder in place of sambar powder improves the taste.my co sister used to add very finely chopped mint leaves in the final stage and allow to boil for 2minutes.add adequate amount of water as the channadal will absorb more water
hi raks, nice clicks.i am a great fan of vada curry.going to try today with appam.its a great side dish for aappam.its made for each other.
supert
Can we try it with Pakodas instead of Vadas ? Will it taste the same ???
Haven't tried yet. Didn't think it will be so easy in making after seeing your receipe.
Haven't tried yet. Didn't think it will be so easy in making after seeing your receipe.