Vada Day!

Being a South Indian, I grew up eating idly/dosa/vadai like I breathe air! LOL…

My mom makes vadai all the time at home but only recently did I know (from a good friend of mine) that the batter used for making vadai is different from the batter made for idly and dosa! I got used to making everything with the same ingredients! (You don’t include raw rice for vadia like you do for idly and dosa)

I immediately called my mom and she confirmed that the ingredients are a little different and that she was taking the easy way out…my mom I tell you! What would I do with out her short cuts for my busy lifestyle? She always used to make Vadai when she makes idli and now I know why!

Below are the recipes for 2 types of vadai; Paal Paniyaram and Thayir Vadai (Dahi Vada)

The first one is Paal Paniyaram, an authentic South Indian delicacy (Chettinad, in Tamil Nadu to be specific). I visited my brother-in-laws mom while in India, who happens to be from Chettinad and got the recipe, the original one that is.

Paal Paniyaram:

Ingredients: These are the basic ingredients for all kinds of vadai is Urad Dal.

Urad Dal: 1 cup

Salt: a pinch

Coconut Milk: 2 cups (or regular milk; not skimmed though)

Sugar: 3 or 4 tbsp

Cardamom powder-1tsp

Oil for deep frying

Method:

• Soak Urad Dal for 4 hours or overnight.
• Grind the Dal fine with salt, using just a few drops of water.
• Heat the oil and slowly drop (I used my hand here) little bit of dal into the oil.
• 
• Mean while, if you are using coconut milk, extract the milk from the coconut and add sugar (if you are using milk, boil the milk and add sugar) and cardamom powder.
• When the vadai get brown, gently remove them from oil and drop them in milk.

Wait for 1 hour before you serve this as the vadai needs to get soaked.

Thayir Vadai Dahi Vada:

Ingredients:

Urad Dal: 1 cup

Yogurt: 1 ½ cup

Salt

Green chili: 1 (optional)

Onion: 1 medium sized, fine chopped.

Oil for deep frying

Method:

• Soak Urad Dal for 4 hours or overnight.
• Grind the Dal fine with salt, chili (if you are using one) using just a few drops of water. Make sure that you do not add more water.
• Add finely chopped onions to the batter.
• 
• Heat the oil in a pan and when it gets hot, wet your fingers and take some dough into your hands. Make a small hole in the middle and gently drop in to the hot oil. (yeah, this will take some practice).
• When the vadai turn golden brown drop them on a paper towel (to soak excess oil).
• 
• While the vadia is getting cool, prepare the yogurt by mixing some water if necessary and some salt.
• Soak the vadia in water for a few seconds (to soften it) take it out, squeeze the excess water and gently drop in the yogurt.
• 
• Sprinkle your favorite seasoning, like grated carrots, chat Masala etc and thayir vadai is ready!

(soak it for at least 1 hour before you eat though).