Masala vada
Masala vada, learn how to make a flavorful, crispy outside, soft from inside masala vadai with step by step photos.
Servings: 20
Ingredients
- 1 cup Chana dal/ kadalai parupu
- 1 tablespoon Rice flour/ raw rice
- 1 Onion
- 5 Green chillies Medium spicy
- 1 teaspoon Fennel/ soambu
- 2 tablespoon Coriander leaves chopped
- 2 tablespoon Mint leaves
- Salt - as needed
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- 1 inch Ginger piece
- 5 Garlic cloves
Instructions
- Soak chana dal for 3 hours. First grind ginger, garlic, chillies and fennel coarsely.
- Then drain chana dal completely and add it in two batches and grind coarsely. Not too smooth not very coarse too. Refer picture. Few chana dal can be whole, no issues.
- Mix finely chopped onion, coriander, mint, salt, rice flour and curry leaves.
- Heat enough oil in kadai.
- Keep a bowl with water and wet both hands. Make equal sized balls first for uniform sized vadas. Shape each ball to flat patties of medium thickness. Edge thin, thicker in the middle just like how a turtle shell would be looking.
- Deep fry in hot oil until golden in colour, flipping once in between.
- When you drop oil, heat should be high. Simmer after you drop all vadas and cook in medium flame until done.
- Drain in paper towel. Repeat to finish.
Notes
- If we dont soak for enough time, vada may turn hard and too crisp.
- Rice flour or sooji can be added to make crisp. Its optional too.
- If using rice, soak along with dal and grind along.
- You can also replace ginger and garlic with Ginger garlic paste.
- Grinding ginger and garlic coarsely adds a unique kind of flavour.
- You can even add a ¾ teaspoon of garam masala.
- If you dont like garlic you can omit and add asafoetida ¼ tsp.
- No need to add excess water while grinding.
- Red chillies can be replaced for green chillies.