Chana Dal Vada recipe- Masala Dal Vada-How to make Dal Vada- Kali Mirch by Smita

Chana Dal Vada or Masala Vada is a deep fried, crisp and savory fritters made of mixed lentil (Chana Dal and Moong Dal) batter. It goes very well with Coriander Mint Chutney, Tamarind Chutney or plain Tomato Ketchup.

The month of May is nearing to its end, and with every passing week I have been looking at IMD monsoon forecasts with great excitement. I have shared a bitter-sweet relation with the month of June, since my early childhood days. During the school days, June meant respite from scorching summers and hailing the monsoons. Needless to say, this was the sweet part of aforementioned relation and the bitter part of course being the end of two-month long summer vacations and the start of new curriculum year at school.

With passing years, the dynamics of my relation with this season has matured and bitterness has given way to irritation. As we all like to see things ending on a happy and positive note, let me get done with the ranting first and then we can discuss the romanticism associated with monsoons. Well, my only rant with the showers is the what happens in the aftermath of it- roads transforming into puddles and the long snarling traffic. This means, having to bear longer commute times, abusive tempers on streets and other such unpleasant occurrences that nobody willfully wants to get engaged in. Enough of ranting!

The loveliest part of this season is the romanticism that it brings along with it. Who on earth would not want to get drenched sometimes in the light drizzle, or witness the lovely downpour from the confines of the small roadside shanty, sipping on some piping hot ginger tea or filter coffee.

Quite often, I plan my rendezvous with my friends at such roadside shacks, where we seated on plastic chairs can have long and silly conversations and watch rains gently caressing the city like a young, vibrant lover showering love and affection on his lass. These fun-filled conversations are incomplete without several rounds of ‘Chai and Bhajiya’. Bhajiya is more of a generic term associated to every kind of fritters- made of Onions, Potatoes, Vegetables, Paneer etc. I also prefer sometimes, crisp and savory Dal vada over other kind of fritters with my cup of tea.

Originating from Udupi kitchen, these Chana Dal Vadas have proliferated to other parts of country like other popular dishes of Udupi cuisine- Idli, Dosa and Medu Vada. Traditionally, these Vadas are made with Chana Dal, but I prefer adding some Moong Dal as well to this batter. The other additions to the batter are Onions, Chilies, Ginger, generous helping of Curry Leaves, Cumin Seeds and some red chili powder.

Please do watch the video for easy demonstration and some helpful tips. Make these delicious Vadas for your evening snack and share your feedback with us in comment section below.

Save Print

Chana Dal Vada recipe- Masala Dal Vada-How to make Dal Vada- Kali Mirch by Smita

Cook time:  15 mins

Total time:  15 mins

Serves: 15-20

Ingredients

• 1 Cup=200gms Chana Dal/Bengal Gram-washed and thoroughly cleaned. Soak overnight or at least for 4 hours.
• ½ Cup=125gms Moong Dal/split skinned Mung lentil-washed and thoroughly cleaned. Soak overnight or at least for 4 hours.
• 1 Medium sized=70gms Onions- finely chopped
• 2-3 Green Chilies-finely chopped
• 1-inch Ginger root-grated
• 10-12 Curry Leaves-chopped
• ¼th-tsp Asafoetida Powder
• 1-tsp Cumin Seeds
• ½-tsp Red Chili Powder
• Salt to taste
• ¼th Cup fresh Coriander Leaves-finely chopped
• Cooking Oil

Instructions

1. Drain water completely from lentils. Grind lentils into a coarse paste. Do not use water while grinding.
2. We have made coarse paste of both the lentils. In a large bowl, put Chana Dal paste, Moong Dal paste. A gentle reminder, we haven't used any water while grinding the lentils
3. Add chopped Onions, curry leaves, green chilies, grated ginger, red chili powder, cumin seeds, asafoetida powder, chopped Coriander leaves. Add 1-tsp Salt in this batter mix and mix well.
4. Dal Vada mixture is now ready. Apply some Oil on your palms. Take a small portion of mixture, roll into ball, flatten between palms and shape it like Vadas. Remember to fry the Vadas immediately.
5. Heat Oil on medium heat. Lower the heat now and fry Vadas. Fry Vada on low heat from both sides. Fry until it becomes golden brown in color (5 mins). Remove from pan. Similarly, fry remaining Vadas.
6. We can make 15-20 Vadas in these measurements. Let's serve the Vadas.

3.5.3251