Not Fried Vada Curry

Vada curry is a very popular south Indian curry made with deep fried chana dal vada  and put that in onion tomato gravy and serve it with mainly with set dosa but you can have it with poori, idli or dosa too. 

Here I have made it in paniyaram pan so its not fried and still taste the same. This dish has no typical South Indian flavor  but still taste amazing. I had it here in one restaurant and since then I wanted to make it home, but after making it I realized that this is South Indian answer to North Indian Vadi. In North , vadi is from mung dal or black eye peas , this is from Chana dal and some different masala but hey , hubby loved it so all good. Generally two things are enough, set dosa and vada curry but my kids were having dosa with masala and sambar and chutney I have it too. I have used leftover dal mixture on next day to make chana dal tikki for lunch. 

Ingredients : 

For Vada : 

1 cup Chana dal

1/2 tbsp. Fennel seeds 

1 Green chili

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp. Coriander leaves

few curry leaves

salt as per taste

Oil as needed in paniyaram , and if you are frying then oil for frying

Method : 

soak Chana dal for 3-4 hours. 

Wash and drain the water and put the dal in blender along with fennel seeds, cumin , coriander , curry leaves and salt. 

don't add any water in this. You don't need fine paste.

Now take it out and heat up the paniyaram pan. Add few drops of oil in cavities and add small amount of chana dal mixture in it and cover and cook it on low to medium flame. When its cooked on on side, turn it and cook on other side. make sure its cook from inside too that's why keep the flame on low. 

If you are deep frying make very tiny balls and drop it in the oil and fry it. 

    

                                                        

Once its cold , make small pieces of it. 

Now let's make the curry.

Ingredients for the curry : 

2 tbsp. oil

1 bay leaf

1 inch cinnamon

2 cloves

1/2 tbsp. fennel seeds

Pinch of Hing

1 finely chopped onion

1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste

1 green chili finely chopped

few curry leaves

1/2 tbsp. Turmeric powder

1/2 tbsp. Kashmiri red chili powder

1/2 tbsp. cumin coriander powder

1 tomato chopped

salt as per taste

1/2 cup coconut milk 

for garnishing chopped coriander leaves & Mint Leaves

Method : 

In a pan, add oil and add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, fennel and Hing and cook till you get nice fragrance of the masala. 

Add onion and cook for few minutes till it becomes pink. 

Add ginger garlic, chili and curry leaves. 

Sauté till the raw smell goes away. 

Then Add turmeric, chili powder, cumin coriander powder and salt. 

Stir it to mix it and add tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes are cook and oil leaves the masala. 

Add water and coconut milk. Add more water since vada will soak up all the water while its cooking in the gravy. Add few of those chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves in the gravy.

Add now small pieces of vada and mix well. 

Cover and let it cook for 5-6 minutes till the curry thickens. 

When its done, sprinkle fresh coriander and serve it with set dosa or idli.