Dal Vada

Full Written Recipe for Dal Vada
Prep time: 15-20 minutes (excluding soaking time)
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
Serves: 3-4 people
Red coconut chutney

Ingredients:

• OIL | तेल 1 TSP
• KASHMIRI RED CHILLI | कश्मीरी लाल मिर्च 10-12 NOS.
• COCONUT | नारियल 1 NO. (GRATED OR SCRPAED)
• GREEN CHILLI | हरी मिर्च 2 NOS.
• GARLIC | लेहसुन 4-5 NOS.
• ONION | प्याज़ 1 NO.
• MINT | पुदीना A FEW LEAVES
• TAMARIND | इमली 1 TSP
• ROASTED CHANA DAL | भुनी हुई चना दाल 3 TBSP
• WATER | पानी AS REQUIRED
• SALT | नमक TO TASTE
• SUGAR | शक्कर A PINCH

Method:

1. Set a pan over high flame, add the oil once it gets hot followed by the kashmiri red chillies & roast them over low flame for 3-4 minutes until crisp.
2. Transfer the red chillies into a bowl, cool them down completely & add them into a mixer grinder jar.
3. Further add the fresh coconut, green chilli & all the remaining ingredients of the chutney & grind everything into a semi-coarse chutney.
4. Your perfect red coconut chutney is ready.

Vada

Ingredients:

• CHANA DAL | चना दाल 1 CUP
• GINGER | अदरक 2 INCH
• GARLIC | लेहसुन 6-8 CLOVES
• GREEN CHILLI | हरी मिर्च 2-3 NOS.
• CUMIN SEEDS | जीरा ½ TSP
• CORIANDER SEEDS | साबुत धनिया 1 TSP
• FENNEL SEEDS | सौंफ ½ TSP
• BLACK PEPPERCORNS | साबुत काली मिर्च ½ TSP
• ONION | प्याज़ 1 NO. (CHOPPED)
• SALT | नमक TO TASTE
• CURRY LEAVES | कड़ी पत्ता 3-4 SPRIGS (CHOPPED)
• FRESH CORIANDER | हरा धनिया A HANDFUL (CHOPPED)
• RICE FLOUR | चावल का आटा 1 TBSP
• HOT OIL | गरम तेल 1 TBSP
• ASAFOETIDA | हींग A PINCH

Method:

1. Wash the chana dal 3-4 times in fresh water & then soak it for 7-8 hours or overnight.
2. Once soaked, discard the water & add the chana dal into a mixer grinder jar, reserve 20% or a few tablespoons of the chana dal, we’ll add this later for a better texture.
3. Further add ginger, garlic & green chilli into the jar & grind it until you get a coarse chana dal paste, use pulse mode to grind the dal & open the jar twice or thrice to mix the ingredients for even grinding as there’s no additional water added.
4. Transfer the coarse paste into a large bowl, then add all the whole spices into a mortar & grind them into a coarse spice mix, you can also use a spice grinder just make sure that you don’t turn it into a fine powder.
5. Add the spice mix into the dal mixture followed by the reserved chana dal, chopped onion, salt, chopped curry leaves, fresh coriander, rice flour, hot oil & asafoetida, mix & combine all the ingredients with your hands to form a mixture.
6. To shape the vadas, take a desired portion of the mixture & form it into a roundel then press it gently between your palms to flatten it, the edges should be slightly thinner that the middle portion, that will form the crispy edge which tastes really good in a dal vada.
7. Shape all the vadas similarly & then carefully drop them into 165 C preheated oil, don’t stir the vadas for the initial minute or two, let them hold their shape & then stir & fry them over medium flame until crisp & golden brown.
8. Once fried transfer them into a sieve so that all the excess oil drips off.
9. Your delicious, monsoon perfect dal vadas are ready.