Masala Vada
An Andhra special street food and snack, most often seen being sold at Indian Railway Platforms, these crunchy on outside but soft inside vada’s are my favorite tea time snack along with chutney and some warm chai. They are made out of lentils, herbs, spices and chopped onions. Sometimes I also dunk these vada’s into warm sambar and enjoy the vadas as a mini meal.
Masala Vada
This time I added a few dill leaves that were lying in the refrigerator. You can add fresh chopped cilantro or mint or amaranth leaves or even spring onions (if using spring onions, skip chopped onions in the recipe and add both the chopped greens as well as the whites) instead.
Masala Vada – Lentil Fritters
Ingredients:
Chana dal – 1 cup
Green chillies – 4-6, finely chopped
Ginger – 1 tsp, minced
Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves (fresh/dried) – 1 sprig, finely chopped
Salt – to taste
Onion – 1, small, finely chopped
Dill leaves – 1/4 cup, finely chopped
Canola oil – to deep fry
Method:
1. Soak the chana dal in a bowl with surplus fresh cool water for 2 hours. Later, drain and reserve about a fistful of the soaked chana dal aside in a bowl. Add the rest of it into a food processor. Process until coarse, do not puree the mixture, and do not add any water while grinding. Remove the coarse chana dal into a mixing bowl. Add the reserved soaked chana dal and add the rest of the ingredients except oil. Mix well, and shape into patties.
2. Heat oil to deep fry in a kadai or a deep saucepan. Once the oil is hot, fry the patties one by one on both sides until golden. Remove into a wire mesh strainer or a paper towel lined platter for excess oil to drain away and serve warm along with coconut chutney or coriander and mint chutney or sambar.
Luv,
Mona
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April 15th, 2010 at 9:11 am
Mona
These are mouthwatering! I would love to try them!
April 15th, 2010 at 1:20 pm
Assalamu alaikum
Hmmmmmm……They look so yummy and very easy to prepare. Goes perfect with evening tea.
I humbly request you for the recipe of crispy dosa and the potato curry which is served with it.
WaAlaiKumAsSalaam Juveria, your request is duly noted.
April 15th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Hey, I made Vadas today too, for the first time. I am so in love with these! Yours looks mighty yummy of course.
Tomorrow, I think I’ll have some with tea too.
April 16th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
jazakAllah khayr for the recipe 🙂
I humbly request you for the recipe of dosa too!
I love dosa,idli,and vadaa reminds me of hyderabad.
WaAlaiKumAsSalaam Rabiya, your request is duly noted.
April 17th, 2010 at 7:34 am
mouthwatering………mona this is amazing snack i have seeen i but never tried cooking……….this snack can also be used for iftaaar i guess.wooooooooooow great
April 24th, 2010 at 9:16 am
Yummy! I can never make enough of these, and I can’t stop eating them!