Vadai can vary in shape and size, but are usually either doughnut- or disc-shaped and are about between 5 and 8 cm across. Vadai are made from dal, lentil, gram flour or potato.
Recipe for Vadai
Ingredients for Vadai:
- 2 cups – oil or frying
- 1 cup – urad dal
- ¼ cup – minced green chillies
- 1 tbsp – rice flour
- 1 tsp – finely minced green ginger
- ¼ tsp – asafoetida powder
- 1 tsp – salt
- 1 tbsp – butter
Method:
- Soak the dal in cold water for 4 to 6 hours. Drain off the water.
- Grind the dal to a fine paste, adding enough water to facilitate grinding. The paste should be stiff.
- Mix in the rice flour. Except for the frying oil, add remaining ingredients to the paste. Mix well. Heat the oil in a skillet.
- These vadai should be shaped like a doughnut.
- Moisten both hands with water.
- Place 1 tbsp. of butter in the left hand toward the finger tips.
- Flatten and shape into a centre and slide the vadai into the hot oil.
- Sometimes it seems easier to transfer it to the moistened right hand before sliding it into the oil.
- Fry 3 to 4 vadais at a time.
- Turn over vadai once while frying.
- Vadais are cooked to golden brown prepared in advance.
- Drain. Serve vadai hot. Reheat vadai by placing in a warming oven.