Recipe: Masala Vada

A substitute to the North-Indian crunchy fritters. masala vada is a popular street food from South Indian cuisine. Made from chana dal and spices, the savory delight is what dreams are made of.

Priya Vantalu

1. Firstly, in a large bowl wash and soak 1 cup chana dal / bengal gram, 2 tbsp urad dal / black gram skinned and 3 dried red chilli for 2 hours.

2. Further, drain off the water and rest for 10 minutes so that all water will be drained off.

3. Transfer the dal to a blender and blend to coarse paste without adding any water. add just a tsp of water if required.

4. Now transfer the coarse dal paste into large mixing bowl.

5. Add in 1 finely chopped green chilli, 1 inch grated ginger, 1/2 finely chopped onion, few curry leaves, 3 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves, pinch of hing / asafoetida and salt to taste. combine them well.

6. Furthermore grease your hand with oil and prepare small balls, flatten the vada.

7. Deep fry in hot oil. also stir occasionally till the vada turns golden and crisp.

8. Finally, serve masala vada hot along with masala chai.

Notes

1. Firstly, do not over soak dal, as vada will not turn crunchy.

2. Also, do not add salt while grinding, as they release water.

3. Furthermore, if the dough turns watery, add a tbsp of rice flour.

4. Alternatively, skip onions to prepare authentic chattambade recipe.

5. Additionally, make sure to add salt just before frying, else the dough will turn watery.

6. Finally, store masala vada in a airtight container for 3 days.