Ingredients
Method
- oak and Drain: Soak 2 cups of chana dal for 2 to 3 hours, then drain all the water completely.
- Reserve some Dal: From the drained dal, set aside 4 tablespoons of whole dal separately to mix later for a nice crunch.
- Coarse Grind: Transfer the remaining dal into a mixer jar along with chopped onion, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves, and deseeded dry red chillies. Add salt as needed. Pulse it coarsely—do not make a smooth paste.
- Mix Everything: Transfer the coarse mixture to a bowl. Add the reserved 4 tablespoons of whole chana dal and a pinch of asafoetida (kayam powder). Mix everything well together.
- Shape the Vada: Take small portions of the mixture, roll them into balls, flatten them slightly on your palm to form traditional vada shapes (do not make them too thick).
- Fry: Heat oil well in a pan. Gently drop the vadas into the hot oil and fry on a low-to-medium flame. Fry them slowly until they turn to a nice golden brown color on both sides, ensuring they cook well inside without getting too hard. Remove from oil and serve hot with tea!
Video
Notes
Dal Soaking: Soak the chana dal for at least 2 to 3 hours so it grinds to the right texture. Make sure to drain all excess water completely before grinding.
Coarse Grinding: Do not grind the dal into a smooth paste. Pulse it just enough to keep it coarse and textured.
Reserved Dal: Adding a handful of unground whole dal to the mixture gives an authentic bite and great texture while eating.
Frying Flame: Always fry on a low-to-medium flame so the inside cooks thoroughly while the outside turns golden and crispy without burning.