Masala Vada

Masala Vada is a popular South Indian snack. Its also known as paruppu vadai or kadlebele vade meaning chana dal vada. Undoubtedly these vada’s are deep fried snack . You can rarely see deep fried snacks on my blog 🙂 🙂 🙂 But this one is my all time favourite , so how can I miss something which I love the most ?

Masala Vada is anonymously one of the most favourite tea time snack for South Indians. This crunchy fritters are made with chana dal, greens and few spices. Greens used are coriander leaves ,curry leaves , dill leaves or drumstick leaves . I love the one with drumstick leaves more than with dill leaves .Anyhow with dill leaves also it tastes , equally good.

For masala , red chillies , green chillies , curry leaves , jeera seeds , ginger, garlic , cloves, cinnamon are blended together and added .Though using cloves and cinnamon are truely optional , adding a small amount of it gives a better taste . Even  fresh grated coconut  is used for blending with masala but again it’s optional and I don’t use it.

I love to eat this Masala Vada more spicy , so I always add extra chillies for last batch of vada while frying. The recipe here is with medium spicy , go ahead and add more chillies ,if you want just like me . LOL 🙂 🙂 🙂

Masala Vada is served along with coconut chutney for evening coffee or else with morning breakfast along with Chitranna| Lemon Rice and chutney. This is how we used to get Masala Vade in our hostel , also in many Darshini’s of Bangalore and in street food trucks .

One more Vada recipe on my blog is Uddina Vade | Thuthu Vade | Medu Vada . Try following this Medu Vada recipe as it is a fool proof  recipe.

Recipe card for Masala Vada

4 from 1 vote

Masala Vada

A spicy crunchy fritter made from chana dal is a popular snack from South India

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Soaking TIme2 hrs

Total Time35 mins

Course: Snack

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Festivals, Karnataka, South Indian

Servings: 24 Makes

Calories: 87kcal

Author: Muktha H S

Ingredients

• 250 grams Chana Dal
• 1 no Garlic pod large ( around 22 garlic cloves)
• 2 inch ginger
• 3 no Guntur or Kashmiri Red Chilli
• 3 no Green chillies
• 6 sprigs Curry leaves
• 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
• 2 Cloves
• 1 Tsp Cumin Seeds
• 3/4 Cup Onions Chopped or 2 onions medium size
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Dill leaves
• 1/3 Cup Coriander Leaves
• 1 1/2 Tsp Salt or as required
• Oil for Frying

Instructions

• Soak Chana Dal for 2-3 hrs in water, rinse well, drain water and keep it aside.
• Add chana dal to a blender and make a coarse paste without adding water.
• In a chutney jar of a mixer, add garlic, ginger,cumin seeds, 4 sprigs curry leaves,2 green chilli, red chillies, cinnamon and cloves. Make a paste as smooth as possible without adding water.
• Add this masala paste to chana dal and blend it once again,such that it mix well.
• Take the chana dal mixture in a container, add salt, chopped onions, 2 sprigs of curry leaves chopped, 1 green chilli,chopped coriander leaves and dill leaves.Mix well everything together
• Whilst in a deep kadai,keep oil for heating. Once it's hot enough. Pinch a small amount of chana dal mixture,shape into vadas and put in hot oil.
• Fry on medium heat,flip and fry on both sides.
• Once it turns into nice golden colour,remove from oil and place on kitchen paper towel.
• Repeat the same procedure of frying for remaining chana dal mixture.
• Serve hot with a cup of masala chai or filter coffee.

Notes

1. Drain water completely from Chana dal and grind to medium coarse paste . 
2. If there is water content in the mixture,then it takes more oil . And vada's will be drenched with too much of oil.
3. If you don't want to add dil leaves or drumstick leaves , then add 1 more extra onion and add  1/2 cup coriander leaves .
4. Add little salt around 1 1/4 tsp while mixing and immediately prepare vada's for frying or else it releases water and becomes difficult to make vada's and also it drinks more oil.

Step by Step directions on making of Masala Vada :

Wash and rinse well Chana Dal. Soak Chana Dal for 2-3 hrs in water.

After 2 hrs , rinse well chana dal , drain water and keep it aside.

Add drained chana dal to a blender and make a coarse paste without adding water.

In a chutney jar of a mixer, add garlic, ginger,cumin seeds, 4 sprigs curry leaves,2 green chilli, red chillies, cinnamon and cloves. Make a paste as smooth as possible without adding water.

Add this masala paste to chana dal and blend it once again,such that it mix well.

Take the chana dal mixture in a vessel, add salt, chopped onions, 2 sprigs of curry leaves chopped, 1 green chilli,chopped coriander leaves and dill leaves.Mix well everything together.

Whilst in a deep kadai,keep oil for heating. Once it’s hot enough. Pinch a small amount of chana dal mixture,shape into vadas and put in hot oil.

Fry on medium heat,flip and fry on both sides.

Once it turns into nice golden colour,remove from oil and place on kitchen paper towel.

Repeat the same procedure of frying for remaining chana dal mixture.

Serve hot with a cup of masala chai or filter coffee.