In some places, they use peas dal for making this vada. So if you don’t get hold of chana dal, you can try it with peas dal. You can also make this in advance if you want to make it in bulk. Cook the dal and crush it and keep. Refrigerate. Don’t mix it together since the water from the onion can make the batter soggy.
Ingredients
- CHANA DAL(KADALA PARIPPU) – 2 CUPS
- FINELY CHOPPED ONION – 1 BIG
- FINELY CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI – 2-3
- FINELY CHOPPED GINGER – 1-2 TSP
- FENNEL SEEDS – 1/4 TSP (OPTIONAL)
- FINELY CHOPPED CURRY LEAVES – 3-4 STEMS
- KAYAM (ASAFETIDA) – 1/8 TSP
- SALT
- OIL
Soak chana dal in water for 2 hours. Drain the water completely. Make sure that the water is dried well, pat dry the dal with a clean kitchen towel. Crush the soaked and drained dal, just run it in mixie for a few seconds. Make sure you dont grind it to a smooth paste. Add all ingredients except oil to the crushed dal and gently mix it together. Make small balls with the dal mix (gooseberry size). Heat oil for deep frying pan on high flame. When oil is really hot, reduce the flame to low-medium and add the vada. Before adding to the oil, just flatten each ball in your palm. Wet your hands before flattening the dough. It is better to flatten the dough just before adding to the oil, otherwise, it may break. Fry till the vadas (fritters) become golden brown or if you like it extra crispy, fry till you get a darker shade of brown. Drain excess oil on a tissue paper. Serve hot. You will get around 20-25 parippu vadas of small-medium size, with the above qty.
