Make some space on your weekly menu for these delicious tea time snacks. Uzhunnu vada a.k.a urad dal fritters are a common snack in South India and they make an ideal complement to a steaming cup of tea. You won’t be able to stop at one 🙂

Time:

• Prep time – 60 minutes
• Cook time – 20 minutes

Ingredients for vada:

• Urad Dal – 1 cup
• Rice flour – 1 tbsp
• Red Shallots (finely chopped) – 10
• Indian Green chilli (finely chopped) – 2
• Ginger (finely chopped) – 1 inch piece
• Curry leaves (finely chopped) – 1 sprig
• Salt – to taste
• Cooking oil – to deep fry
• Black pepper (crushed) – 1 tsp (OPTIONAL)

Ingredients for chutney:

• Freshly grated coconut – 1 cup
• Indian Green chilli – 1
• Ginger – 1 inch
• Salt – to taste
• Oil – 1/2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds – 3/4 tsp
• Curry leaves – 1 sprig
• Dry Red chilli – 1

Method to prepare vada:

1. Wash the urad dal and soak it in water for 40 minutes. Strain it
2. Grind the urad dal until it a smooth paste. Sprinkle some water if required to get a smooth texture. You are looking to get a very thick, smooth dough that you can mould with your hands
3. Add the chopped ginger, curry leaves, shallots and green chilli to the dough. Then add the rice flour, salt and crushed black pepper. Mix until well combined. Set aside for 15 minutes
4. Take a deep dish frying pan, add oil and heat. When the oil is heated, reduce the heat down to medium
5. Moisten your fingers and palms with little water. Then take a portion of the prepared dough in your hands and make a round shape. Make a hole in the center of the round shape using your index finger
6. Take the doughnut shaped dough and let it slip into the oil (be careful to not burn yourself!). Deep fry the vada until both sides are golden brown (like image)
7. Repeat steps 5-6 with the remaining dough
8. Serve with the below chutney

Method to prepare chutney:

1. Grind together the grated coconut, green chilli, ginger, and salt
2. In a separate pan, fry the mustard seeds, curry leaves, and red chilli in oil until they start to sputter. Pour this over the ground ingredients
3. Ready to serve 🙂