Vadai Curry Food

VADAI CURRY

Steps:

• Soak the bengalgram in water for 1 hour. Drain the water and grind to a coarse paste.
• Mix in salt and the2tbsp chopped onions.
• Make small dumplings of this mixture and deep fry in hot oil till golden brown. Remove and keep aside to drain.
• To prepare the gravy - Make a smooth paste by grinding by grinding all the ingredients from aniseed till coconut by using very little water.
• Heat oil in a pan, add the cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and aniseed.
• Fry till a nice aroma comes and then mix in the chopped onions and keep sautéing till it turns brown. Now add the chopped tomatoes.
• Keep stirring and once the tomatoes have become mushy and the oil floats on top, mix in red chili powder, turmeric and garam masala. Fry for a minute then add the paste fry little oil floats on top--it takes 4-5 minutes of frying.
• Now add 3 cups of water,keep on stove till the gravy starts to come to a boil. Now add the deep fried dumplings and the salt. Let it cook for some time till the dumplings soak up some of the gravy.
• Now is the time to adjust the salt and the consistency of the gravy.
• Serve this hot vadai curry garnished with chopped coriander and golden fried cashews with steaming hot idlis.

VADA CURRY

Steps:

• Grind all the ingredients given under "For the Masala" to a fine paste. This is the masala.
• Soak channa dal for 2 hours. Drain the water, add salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp of the above ground masala. (this is just to give more flavor to the vada) and grind coarsely without adding water. Then mix finely chopped onions with it.
• Heat oil in a kadai, make uneven balls from the mixture and drop it into the oil. Fry till golden brown, remove it and place it on a paper towel to absorb excess oil if any. The vada need not be crisp as we are going to add it to the gravy. Alternatively you can make small balls and steam the vadas as we do for paruppu usili or even fry it in paniyaram pan. Now the vada is ready.
• Heat oil in a kadai or pan, add bay leaf, saute for second, then add thinly sliced onions and saute until golden brown. Add a little salt to the onions to speed up the process.
• Then add the ground masala paste and saute for a few more minutes.
• Now we will add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder and chilli powder. Cook till tomatoes turn mushy and oil oozes out. Do all this on medium flame.
• Then add thin coconut milk, needed salt and bring it to boil.
• Once it starts boiling, add the vadas by breaking it into 2 pieces. Cook on low heat for a few minutes. Let the vada absorb the gravy.
• Then add the thick coconut milk, boil and switch it off. Garnish with mint and coriander leaves.
• Delicious Vada curry can be served with dosa, idli and parotas.

URUD VADAI (MEDHU VADAI)

Steps:

• Soak 1 cup urud dal in sufficient amt of water for 1 hour and grind into a thick fine flour.
• Add 1 tsp salt, 2-3 chopped green chillies, 1 tsp whole black peppers, the curry leaves and mix well.
• On a plastic piece of paper place a ball of this and flatten it by hand.
• Deep fry this in oil and turn over until the vada turns golden brown.