Masala vada

Ingredients

• Channa Dal - 1 cup
• Green Chillies - 2 (finely chopped)
• Onion 1 medium (finely chopped)
• Ginger - 1" piece (finely chopped)
• Coriander Leaves - Few
• Curry leaves - 5 (finely chopped)
• 1/2 teaspoon each- cumin and ajwain (sombu)
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep fry

Method

1. Soak chana dal in water for at least 4 hours. Strain dal to remove water. In a clean cloth or kitchen towel, spread the dal to air-dry for about 30 minutes. This helps to make the masala vadas properly and they absorb very little of oil in which they are fried.
2. Keep a fistful of chana dal on the side, take the remaining chana dal add green chilli, ginger and grind it coarsely.Don’t grind too smooth.
3. Then add onions ,cumin and sombu(ajwain) to it and grind them only for a second .
4. Transfer to a bowl and add chopped coriander leaves,curry leaves and salt to it and mix well.
5. Add fistful of chana dal we kept aside to the mix and combine well.
6. Coarse texture and intact chana dal are the two essential elements in a memorable vada experience. (The batter can be made in advance and refrigerated before frying.)
7. Make small balls out of the mixture and keep on the palm and pat them to form a circle.
8. Fry them in oil till golden brown on both sides.
9. Serve the vadas hot as a tasty snack