Dal vada/Lentil fritters (also known as amai vada)

Dal Vada is one of the well-known south indian snacks. It is served as a side dish during breakfast with dosa or idli or as an evening snacks. It goes very well with a piping hot cup of tea or coffee especially with ginger tea or coffee. It is known as Amai Vadai due to the shape and the outer surface which resembles the tortoise (Amai in Tamil).

Ingredients:

To grind

Chana Dal /Bengal Gram /Kadalai Paruppu – 1 cup

Ginger – 1 inch (peeled)

Red Chilies -3 to 4

Asafoetida (Hing/Kayam) – ¼ tsp

Aniseed (Hing/Kayam) powder – ¼ tsp

Curry Leaves – 2 strands

Salt to taste

Other Ingredients:

Urad Dal (Black gram) Skinned and split – 1 tbsp. (Soak in water for 30 minutes, drain the water and keep aside)

Chana dal (kept aside from the soaked dal) – 1 tbsp

Onion (finely chopped – 1

Fresh coconut – 2 tbsp

Green Chilies (finely chopped) – 2

Curry Leaves – 1 strand

Coriander leaves (Coarsely chopped) – 2 tbsp.

Oil for deep frying

Method

Wash and soak the lentil (chana dal) in water for 2 hours.

Drain the water. Grind coarsely with all the other ingredients mentioned under “To Grind”,

Transfer to a bowl.

Add all the items listed under “other ingredients” to this except oil and mix well.

Make small lemon sized balls.

Heat oil in a pan and keep in middle flame.

Take each ball in one palm and flatten it with the other palm in such a way that the middle is thick and the edges are thin and drop into the oil gently.

Leave it for 3 to 4 minutes and then flip each one. The vada must be stiff and should not break apart while turning. Flip again after 2 or 3 minutes.

Fry the vadas till both the sides become brown. Remove the vadas with a slotted spoon, lift and hold for a few seconds so that the oil drains out into the pan.

Place the vadas on a paper napkin so that any excess oil is sucked out by the paper napkin.