This crispy tea time snack is bound to be your favorite after just one try. Anything fried is tasty, but nothing beats this crunchy vadai that's made with spinach, dhal, and spices.
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 40pieces
Ingredients
1½cupchanna dhal
¼cup toor dhal
1tbspurad dhal
1tbspraw rice
1½tspfennel seeds
4red chilies(adjust to taste)
½tspgarlic powder
⅛tspasafetida(also known as hing or perungayam)
½tspgrated ginger
3cupsspinach(chopped)
1cuponion(chopped)
¼tspturmeric powder
2tbspcoriander leaves
10curry leaves(chopped)
1tbsprava (sooji)(optional)
1-2tbspwater(for grinding)
water as needed(to soak the dhal)
salt
Instructions
Add channa dhal, toor dhal, urad dhal, and raw rice to a bowl. Wash thoroughly and soak in water for 2 hours.
Next, wash the spinach and chop it. Place it in a different mixing bowl.
Then, add chopped onion, grated ginger, garlic powder, and asafetida. Set aside.
Drain the water from the soaked dhal and keep the dhal aside.
Now, add red chilies and fennel seeds to a blender jar.
Then, add a handful of the soaked dhal and grind until a coarse texture forms. Add this mixture to the bowl with the chopped spinach.
Grind the rest of the dhal to a coarse consistency. Add 1-2 tbsp of water, as needed.
Add the ground mixture to the mixing bowl.
Mix in turmeric powder, salt, chopped coriander leaves, and curry leaves. Mix well.
Roll the mixture into even sized balls.
Now, heat oil in a frying pan. Flatten the balls into discs and carefully fry them in the hot oil.
Once the vadai gets cooked on one side, carefully turn the vadai so it cooks on the other side. The vadai should become golden brown.
Once the vadai becomes golden brown, remove the vadai from the oil with a slotted spoon to drain any excess oil.
Place the vadai on a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil.
Depending on the size of the pan, fry few vadai at a time.
Serve hot with coconut chutney.
Notes
This vadai mix may get watery when frying. If this happens, add 1 tbsp of sooji (rava) to absorb the water. This will also make the vadai more crispy.