Vada (lentil fritters)
“Another dish mentioned in ancient literature is vada. These fritters come in several forms, but all use lentils – washed, soaked and ground with spices, then lightly fermented and deep-fried and eaten with chutney. To date, Indian society loves vada for breakfast, as an accompaniment to lunch, or as a snack for afternoon tea. From street vendors to homes and temples, vada is still popular for its flavour and versatility." - Helly Raichura
Begin this recipe at least 6 hours ahead.
This is an edited extract from The Food of Bharat by Helly Raichura. Published by Hardie Grant Books, AUD$60, available now. Photography by Jana Langhorst and Brett Cole.
Ingredients (15)
- 400g urid dal
- 5 tsp (15g) black peppercorns, crushed
- 8cm piece fresh ginger (40g), grated
- 1/3 cup (60g) rice flour
- Vegetable oil, to deep-fry
Coconut peanut chutney
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 30g peanuts, shelled
- 200g freshly grated coconut
- 1cm piece fresh turmeric (10g), peeled
- 1 1/2 tsp (5g) jaggery
- 1 tsp (10g) tamarind paste
- 1 tbs (20g) ghee
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves, leaves stripped
- 2 pinches asafoetida
Don't forget you can add these ingredients to your Woolworths shopping list.
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1.Wash the urid dal a couple of times in cold running water, then soak in a bowl of cold water for at least 3 hours.
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2.Drain dal and blitz in a blender or grind with a wet stone grinder into an almost-smooth paste. Add water if needed, to adjust the consistency, but remember that the batter needs to be thick.
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3.Place in a bowl and ‘whisk’ batter with fingers for 5-6 minutes, until light and airy.
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4.Add fine salt to taste, peppercorns, ginger and flour. Mix well and set aside, uncovered, for 2 hours to ferment a little.
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5.Meanwhile, for the coconut peanut chutney, heat oil in a frypan over medium-low heat and roast the peanuts for 8 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Remove.
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6.Add the peanuts to a blender with the coconut, turmeric, jaggery, tamarind and a pinch of fine salt. Add a little water and blend to a rough paste. Transfer to a heatproof bowl.
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7.Heat the ghee in a vaghariyu or small pot over a medium heat. Once the ghee is hot, add mustard seeds and, once they stop popping, add curry leaves and asafoetida. After a couple of seconds, pour ghee mixture over the peanut mixture. Mix well, check the seasoning and set aside.
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8.To test that the batter is fermented, drop a little into a glass of water. If it floats, enough air has been incorporated. If it doesn’t, whisk again with your fingers until the batter is fluffy enough that it floats when tested in the water.
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9.Heat enough oil for deep-frying in a large saucepan until it reaches 150°C (a cube of bread will turn golden in 3 1/2 minutes when the oil is hot enough). Drop 1-2 tbs of the batter into the oil with a spoon and deep-fry until golden on both sides, about 8-10 minutes.
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10.If you prefer, you can shape your fritters into a doughnut shape before frying. Dip your hands in water, take 1-2 tbs of the batter and form a ball, then flatten into a thick disc. Gently press a hole through the middle to make a doughnut shape, then drop the vada into the hot oil and deep-fry until golden on both sides.
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11.Serve the vada with the chutney.
Recipe Notes
To make ghee (the cheat’s version), heat 500g unsalted butter in a patili or heavy-based pot over medium heat until it reaches 140°C on a cooking thermometer. Use a slotted spoon to remove any impurities that rise to the surface. Take ghee off the heat, let it cool, then strain and store in an airtight container or sterilised glass jar at room temperature for up to 1 month. Makes 350g/
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