Keerai Vadai

I’m sitting at home in the midst of a cyclone, Nisarga. Tensed friends and relatives are calling, watching the news on TV. But for us, it’s a beautiful weather. The grey skies, cold weather and rain drizzling! And what does that call for? A crispy snack and hot filter coffee! That’s exactly what this post is about!

A few days before this, my husband and I watched a documentary on Annapoorna, a famous hotel in Coimbatore. They were showing how they manage the hotel just like a corporate, how they work towards maintaining the same taste etc. While watching the documentary a beautiful, crispy snack caught my eye! It was keerai vadai. I never heard of this concept of adding green leaves to vadai. As somehow, for me, they don’t gel! Deep fried is unhealthy, leaves are healthy… You get the drift? But then I saw them and wanted to try them! And what better time for vadai, than when it rains?

Have to tell you, don’t be put off hearing green leaves as the taste of green leaves in these crispy vadai is almost negligible! This may actually work wonders for parents who want to include leafy vegetables in their kids diet, hoodwinking them to think its a fried snack! Do try them, like me, on a beautiful rainy day as it’s the monsoon season now!

Keerai Vadai

Lejna

A small twist to the usual Masala Vadai or Parippu Vada.

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Cook Time 30 mins

Soaking 1 hr 30 mins

Total Time 2 hrs

Course Snack

Cuisine Tamil Nadu

Servings 15 vadas

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup Chana dal
• 1 inch Ginger
• 1 tsp Fennel seeds
• 1 no Green chilli chopped
• 1 no Onion chopped
• 1 cup Palak leaves chopped
• 1 sprig Curry leaves

Instructions

 

• Wash and soak the chana dal for 1-2 hours.
• Grind ¾ of the soaked dal, ginger and fennel seeds into a coarse paste. Add rest of the dal and give it a pulse, so that there are some whole dals.
• Add the chopped onions, green chilli, palak leaves, curry leaves and salt to this mixture. Mix it well.
• Heat oil in a kadai or deep bottom pan.
• Take a big scoop of the dal mixture and try to make a rough ball with your palms. Now flatten this with your palms.
• Check the heat of the oil by dropping a small portion of the dal mixture into the oil, if it rises up then the oil is ready for frying.
• Slowly slide the vada into the oil and lower the flame. If the flame is high it will burn the exterior of the vada and the inside will not be cooked. Fry the vada till its golden brown in colour.
• Fry rest of the vada the same way.

Keyword Keerai Vada, Masala Vada, Palak Fritters, Palak Vada, Paprippu Vada, Snacks, Tea snacks, Tiffin, Vada