How to Make Lip-smacking Vada Curry - A side dish for Idli and Dosa

Preparing the baked chana dal mixture:

Take 200 gms (1 Azhakku or 1 tumbler) of chana dal/ kadalai paruppu/bengal gram and soak in water overnight.

In the morning, drain the water, and grind the chana dal as a coarse mixture in mixie without adding water. Add some salt to the mixture.

Place round balls of the ground mixture on the idli baking vessel and bake for seven minutes in pressure cooker without putting lid/weight.

Baked Chana Dal

Note: Some people prefer to fry the vadas instead of baking. But I feel the baked ones taste better. You can try both and decide :)

Other Ingredients:

Onion – 2

Small size tomato - 1

Green Chillies – 3

Ginger-Garlic paste – 2 teaspoons

Mint leaves ( pudhina) – I handful

Coriander leaves (kothammali) – 1 handful

1small strip of Curry leaves

Oil – 3 tablespoons

Cinnamon – 2

Cloves – 3

Cardamom – 3

Bringe leaf – 1

Turmeric – half teaspoon

Fennel seeds ( saunf \ sombu) – 2 teaspoons

Preparation:

Cut the onions and tomato into small pieces. Cut the green chillies, mint and coriander leaves into medium sized pieces.  Pour oil in the pan. Add the cinnamon, cloves, cardomon, bringe leaf, fennel seeds and fry. Put the cut onion and tomatoes and fry. Add ginger-garlic paste. Add mint, coriander, and curry leaves and fry. Add turmeric powder and fry. 

Finally, add the baked dal mix to the pan and fry. Add water till the contents submerge. Add salt and cook till thick consistency. Lip-smacking Vada Curry is ready. Serve hot with dosa or idly.

Cooked Vadacurry