Vada - Sambhar(Fried Indian Dumplings in Tangy soup)

Vada for Vada-Sambhar

Vada-Sambhar

Vada-sambhar along with coconut chutney is a yummy combination and can be had any time of the day, at the pretext of being hungry but want to eat something different than roti…In my house hold every Saturday / Sunday Vada-sambhar used to be made for brunch and it used to be delightful sight to see my husband and children enjoying hot vada soaked in tangy-spicy sambhar along with sour and sweetish spicy coconut chutney. I am lucky to be born in a country which has such a diverse culture and food habit. Different state has different type of staple food and I try to make my kitchen a mini India, thus hope to keep on learning, improvising and blogging different recipes so that maximum people can know and learn about the wonderful Indian savory / sweets and breads and much more.

Preparation Time: 20 min. (Dal soaking time not included)

Cooking Time: 45 min (for vada), 45 Min (for sambhar)

Servings: 25 Medium Size Vadas

Ingredients required and Directions for making Sambhar Vada-Sambhar:

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/05/sambhar-tur-dal-cooked-with-vegetables.html

Ingredients required for Making Vada: for Vada-Sambhar:

• 250 gm. Urd Dal

• 1 Large or 2 Medium Onions

• 2-3 Sprigs of Fresh coriander Leaves

• 3-4 Green chilies

• 1 Tea spoon Red chili Powder (optional)

• 1/2Tea spoon Turmeric Powder

• Salt to taste

• Cooking Oil for frying

Directions for masking Vada for Vada-Sambhar:

• Wash Urd dal till the water from washing comes out clean.

• Soak the washed dal in excess water for at least 4 hours.

• Drain the water from soaked dal and grind it to thick, fine paste.

• Cut onion fine.

• Cut green chilies fine.

• Cut Coriander sprigs fine.

• Add

• Dal paste

• Finely cut Onions

• Finely cut Coriander sprigs

• Finely cut green chilies

• Red chili powder

• Turmeric powder

• Salt

• Mix and beat till it becomes creamy in texture.

Batter for Vada

• Take oil in a wok and heat on high flame till smoking hot.

• Reduce the flame when the oil is smoking hot.

• Dip your fingers in water before picking the batter for vada.

Fingers dipped in water before picking the batter for vada

• Take a small amount of dal mixture and flatten it on your palm to make a 3-4 cm. thick and 3 cm. (roughly) diameter round.

Pick the batter with wet fingers

Wet palm before placing the batter

Batter placed on the palm and made to round shape

• Wet your fingers of the other hand and with the index finger make a hole in the center of dal round on your other hand palm.

Hole made at the center of the batter

• Carefully slip the dal round with hole on the fingers of the other hand and put it carefully in hot oil for frying.

Vada batter with hole being put in oil for frying

• Repeat the same and fry at one time 4-5 vadas on low flame by carefully turning then occasionally.

Vada being fried

Vada fried to golden brown color

Vada For Vada-Sambhar

• When the vadas are fried in both sides to golden color take them out in a serving plate and serve hot with piping hot spicy sambhar and coconut chutney.

Vada-Sambhar

 http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/05/sambhar-tur-dal-cooked-with-vegetables.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.in/2012/08/tangy-delicious-coconut-chutney.html

Tips:

• Soak the dal till it becomes soft, if urd dal is soaked for 6-8 hours then the vadas come out fantastic.

• Add water in little amounts while grinding to make sure the dal paste does not become thin.

• If the dal mixture will be thin then the vadas will not be made nice. Either they will soak too much oil or they dal mixture will dissolve in oil to small pieces.

• If the dal paste somehow or other becomes little thin add 2-3 tea spoons of rice powder along with other ingredients.

• If the oil has become too hot switch off the gas and let it cool for 2-3 min. before making vadas.

• The Sambhar for vada should be thin so that vadas get soaked properly in it.

Suggested Variations:

• For those who are allergic to urd dal or urd dal does not agree with their system they can replace urd dal with Moong dal / 50:50 mix of Moong and urd dal mixture.

• Finely Kadi patta (curry leaves) can be added to the dal paste while making the dal mixture for vada.

• 1 Tea spoon ajwain (caraway seeds) can be added to the dal paste along with other ingredients while making the dal mixture for vada. This adds flavor and is good for digestion.