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Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Vada Curry/ Fried lentil dumplings in gravy

Vada curry a popular South Indian side dish, is a Chettinadu delicacy generally made for breakfast. After viewing this in a TV programme recently hosted by Mrs. Revathy Shanmugam, I adapted her recipe  and tried this. We had this with Kal dosai as brunch. Though there are many sources to follow this recipe, I decided to make this for the first time, after viewing Mrs. Revathy explaining it meticulously with minute tips, which not only helps beginners, but even experienced to follow for the perfect result.

 INGEDIENTS
Channa dal/bengal gram dal
1cup
Onion
2
Tomato
3
Green chilli
2
Ginger n garlic paste
1 tblsp
Red chilli powder
1 ½ tsp
Mint/pudina
little
cilantro/coriander leaves
little
Coconut milk
½ + ½ cup
cinnamon
2 pieces
Elachi/cardamom
2
Cloves
4
Saunf/fennel seeds
1 tsp
Curry leaves
little
Turmeric powder/haldi
½ tsp
Salt
To taste
Oil
For frying
Hot water
2 ½ cups


METHOD
Preparations:
Wash and soak channa dal for 2 hours.
Grind coarsely and slightly loose for soft and crispy vadas. 
Chop onions into slices.
Finely chop tomatoes.
wash and cut mint, cilantro and curry leaves ( will be using this in 3 stages)
Slit green chili.
Take thick first milk of coconut ( if making fresh at home) 1/2 cup and keep another 1/2 cup diluted second milk.
Keep other ingredients ready.

Step I

Heat oil for deep frying vada.
Take the ground paste of channa dal in a bowl.
Add salt, ginger garlic paste (1/2 tblsp), half of red chili powder and little of cilantro and mix well.
Take a handful of batter and drop in hot oil pinching them into small portions.
Fry in 2 to 3 batches till golden and remove. (need not strain in colander)
Break the vadas into pieces with your palm when it is not hot. 
Take a few and powder it in mixie jar on whipper mode to add later in curry for binding the gravy.

Step II
Heat oil in a pan , add cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.
Add sliced onion and a little salt and saute.
Add saunf/fennel seeds and mix,
Add ginger garlic paste (1/2 tblsp) to onion, then add curry leaves, cilantro, slit green chilli and mint and mix.
Add red chilli powder ( the remaining 3/4 tsp), then add tomatoes and little salt again and saute.

 Step III

While the curry is cooking heat  2 1/2 cups water in other stove top.
When tomatoes in curry are done add the hot water.
Then add the broken pieces of vadas and the powdered pieces too.
Mix well and add the balance cilantro, mint and curry leaves.
Finally add the coconut milk ( first and second mixed), stir well and remove.
Serve hot with Dosai or can be had as it is too. 

Note: Salt will be used in vadas and also in different stages. Take care and finally add when the dish is done after checking.
Coutesy: Mrs. Revathy Shanmugam



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