I am of the belief that vadas are universally loved. There's something about this fried piece of yumminess that makes them so hard to resist. And it is always almost impossible to stop at just one.
These Mixed Dal Vadas are a tasty combination of lentils and legumes, and they are my mum's speciality that always find their way into Ganeshji's bhog (offering), during Ganesh Utsav.
The process is simple and not so intimidating: Once you have the soaked dals ready, it just takes about 20 minutes to put together and fry these vadas and certainly less than a few seconds to finish them off.
They. Are. Just. So. Delicious!
Also these vadas are great way to solve the aaj-kya-banayenge snack situation at chai hour. Do try this recipe before we bid goodbye to the rains.
Mixed Dal Vadas
Serves 3 to 4
Ingredients
- ½ cup yellow split mung dal
- ½ cup barbati dal or split black-eyed peas
- ¼ chana dal or Bengal gram
- ¼ urad dal or white gram
- 2 green chillies
- 1-inch piece ginger
- 1 tsp haldi or tumeric powder
- 1 tsp red chilly powder
- 1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp curry leaves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp green dhaniya or coriander or cilantro, finely chopped
- Pinch hing or asafoetida
- Salt to taste, about 1 tsp salt
- Oil for deep frying the vadas
- Lemon juice, for garnish, optional
- Chaat masala, for garnish, optional
- Green chutney or ketchup, to serve, optional
Method
- Soak the dals together for at least two hours.
- Blend the soaked dals with the green chillies, ginger, jeera to a coarse paste in a mixer/blender without water.
Empty the ground mixture into a bowl and add the hing, salt, chilly powder, haldi powder, chopped curry leaves, chopped coriander and mix.
Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes. - Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
Using a tbsp scoop out lime-sized balls and lightly flatten lightly with your hands to form vadas.
Deep fry in the hot oil until golden brown and crisp.
Drain onto a tissue or paper towel-lined plate. - Dribble a little lemon juice over the dal vadas and then sprinkle chaat masala over the dal vadas or serve with green chutney or ketchup, or just have them plain with hot masala chai.
Editor's Note: For a recipe for green chutney use Lahu Kapudskar's Mint-Dhania Chutney.
