Vada Curry

Ingredients:

For Vada:

Channa dal – ¾ cup

Tuar dal – ¼ cup

Red chilli – 1

Aniseed - 1 teaspoon

For the gravy:

Onions – 1 (finely chopped)

Tomatoes – 2

Oil- 2 teaspoons

Salt – 1 ½ teaspoons

Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon

Grind together:

Onion – 1

Ginger – 1 inch piece

Garlic - 2 big/4 small flakes

Red chillies – 2 or 3

Cardamom – 1

Cloves – 2

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Roasted Bengal gram dal (chutney dal) – 2 teaspoons

Corriander seeds – 2 teaspoons

Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon

Method:

For making Vadai:

1. Soak dals for 1 hour.
2. Grind to coarse paste with red chilli & aniseed & ½ teaspoon of salt.
3. Mix finely chopped coriander leaves with it.
4. Heat kuzhi paniyaram thathu & add a 2 drops of oil in each space (kuzhi).
5. Fill each space (kuzhi) with the ground paste & keep closed for 3 minutes in sim.
6. Turn sides & cook for 2 more minutes.

For Gravy:

1. Heat oil in a non stick kadai.
2. Add onions & fry till golden brown.
3. Add the ground mixture & fry till oil separates.
4. Boil the tomatoes in a bowl of water till the skin looks pealing. (performing steps 4 to 6 is called blanching the tomatoes)
5. allow the tomatoes to cool & peel skin.
6. grind these tomatoes to paste in mixie.
7. Add the blanched tomato paste to the boiling gravy.
8. Add 2 cups of water, turmeric powder & salt
9. When this starts boiling add the vadai’s.
10. Allow boiling for 3 more minutes.
11. Garnish with corriander leaves.
12. Serve hot with idli/dosa/appam.