Masala vada (Chana dal vada) - Crispy lentil fritters

By Swasthi's Recipes · 40 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Wash the chana dal several times in plenty of water, then soak it in plenty of water for 2 hours. Drain well; it should be fully tender with no hard centre.
2. Blend the cinnamon, dried red chilli, cumin and fennel seeds into a coarse powder. Set aside with 2 tablespoons of the soaked dal.
3. Add the drained dal and the salt to the blender and pulse a few times until coarse, leaving some dal uncrushed. Transfer to a bowl.
4. Add the chopped mint, curry leaves, onion, the spice powder, green chillies and ginger garlic paste. Mix well and add more salt if needed.
5. Check the dough by shaping a ball and flattening it into a vada; it must hold together. If it does not, blend a handful of the dough to a smooth paste and mix it back into the rest.
6. Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Divide the dough into 10 parts and shape each into a small ball, then flatten on your palm.
7. Test the oil by dropping in a little dough: it should rise without browning quickly. Slide in 3 to 4 vadas at a time.
8. Leave them undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes until firm, then flip and fry over medium heat until golden and crisp on both sides. Drain on kitchen tissue and repeat with the rest.
9. Serve hot with coconut chutney or ketchup.

Summarized from Swasthi's Recipes's video. Watch it for the details.

More recipes with

GarlicOnion