Vada curry recipe, Steamed vada curry

Vada curry recipe – steamed version with full video and step by step detailed pictures. Save some extra calories with the steamed version of vada curry, a popular street food in Saidapet, Madras.

As I posted last in the breakfast menu11, here I am  with the vada curry recipe . This is perfect for dosa for me, loved it a lot with soft spongy dosa. Some suggest this for appam, poori or chapati too. I tried with chapati, it was good. Yet to try with poori and appam. I can eat vada curry as such even though its a side dish. It gives good much volume, so its perfect when you have get-togethers  or have guest at home. You follow the same recipe and make with left over masala vadais too. Again thanks to Vilasini & Viji for the recipes.

 my view:

I have tasted vada curry only in Saravana bhavan HSB once. Loved it a lot and wanted to recreate at home. Though stayed in Chennai for an year that too in Saidapet, but never knew vada curry was famous in that area. During that time, I was a homeybird, never had chance to go out and eat. So I hope I could once get to taste. After seeing some YouTube food videos, I saw it to be super masala filled side dish. I think it satisfies people from all groups with such a spicy masala base.

I made it mild spiced and now have updated video to it with slight modifications as I learnt. Let’s make some vada curry now.

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Steamed vada curry recipe

Vada curry recipe - steamed version with full video and step by step detailed pictures. Save some extra calories with the steamed version of vada curry, a popular street food in Saidapet, Madras.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian, South Indian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Soaking time 3 hours

Servings 4

Equipments (Amazon Affiliate links)

• Steamer

Cup measurements

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Chana dal
• 4 Red chilli
• 1 tsp Fennel / Soambu/ Saunf
• 2 Onion
• 3 Tomato
• 1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
• 1 & 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
• 1 tsp Coriander seeds powder
• 1/2 tsp Garam masala powder optional
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric
• Salt - as needed
• 10 Mint leaves
• 2 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped
• 1 sprig Curry leaves

To temper

• 2 tbsp Oil
• 1 inch Cinnamon
• 1 Cardamom
• 1 Cloves
• 1 Biryani leaf
• 1 tsp kal pasi optional
• 1 tsp cumin seeds

Instructions

• Soak channa dal for 3 hrs.  First grind chilli, fennel and salt.
• Then add the drained chana and grind coarsely. Do in batches to ensure even grinding. Do not grind smoothly.
• Grease idli plates and fill the moulds with the ground mixture, make a dent at the middle to ensure easy cooking. Steam cook for 10-15 minutes.
• Once cooled, break it roughly. I forgot to add curry leaves before steaming, so added after breaking. Heat a pan with oil and temper with the items given under ‘To temper’ table in order.
• Add finely chopped onion and fry till transparent. In goes ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute in medium flame. Add finely chopped tomatoes and all the powders – red chilli powder, dhaniya powder (coriander powder) and turmeric powder.Sprinkle required salt for the gravy.
• Fry for a minute or until the masala blends and becomes mushy. Add 2-3 cups water depending on thick or thinner gravy you want.
• Bring to boil and add the crumbled dal and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Once the oil floats on top and the gravy becomes thicker. Add 2 tbsp coconut milk ( I added Store bought in the updated video)  if adding and bring to boil again. garnish with chopped coriander and mint leaves.

Video

Notes

• Add enough water as it requires lots of water.
• Mint leaves adds very nice flavor to the gravy.
• If using masala vada, use 6-8 vadai depending on the size.
• You can add 2 slit green chillies if you want extra hot gravy.
• Kal pasi adds a nice hotel style flavour, do add if you have.
• Adding coconut milk in last step enhances the flavour and taste (Tip from Revathy shanmugam mam)

Vada curry method:

1. Soak channa dal for 3 hrs.  First grind chilli, fennel and salt.
2. Then add the drained chana and grind coarsely. Do in batches to ensure even grinding. Do not grind smoothly.
3. Grease idli plates and fill the moulds with the ground mixture, make a dent at the middle to ensure easy cooking. Steam cook for 10-15 minutes.
4. Once cooled, break it roughly. I forgot to add curry leaves before steaming, so added after breaking. Heat a pan with oil and temper with the items given under ‘To temper’ table in order.
5. Add finely chopped onion and fry till transparent. In goes ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute in medium flame. Add finely chopped tomatoes and all the powders – red chilli powder, dhaniya powder (coriander powder) and turmeric powder.Sprinkle required salt for the gravy.
6. Fry for a minute or until the masala blends and becomes mushy. Add 2-3 cups water depending on thick or thinner gravy you want.
7. Bring to boil and add the crumbled dal and simmer for 10 minutes.
8. Once the oil floats on top and the gravy becomes thicker. Add 2 tbsp coconut milk ( I added Store bought in the updated video)  if adding and bring to boil again. garnish with chopped coriander and mint leaves.
   Serve hot with hot set dosa  – the dosa you see below is nothing but soft thick dosas, made from idli dosa batter.