My 87th post, " Masal Vadai | Masala Vada | Parippu Vada recipe ", a delicious South Indian tea time snack. Masala Vadai is nothing but a dal fritters | lentil fritters made specifically from channa dal. An evening snack recipe which is healthy and rich with plant proteins from the lentils. It is a popular street food in many parts of south India.
During these cold winter days or a rainy day, I absolutely love my evening tea aka hot chai. It tends to provide the needed warmth right from inside. No evening chai would be complete without a hot and crispy Indian snack accompanying it.
I can never forget the pretty sights of Chennai , Tamil Nadu. People standing at the tea stalls with a hot cup of tea in one hand and a crispy fried snack in the other hand. To me, it really doesn't matter what the snack is. Whether it is the lovely Veg Samosa or the delicious Paneer Puff or this wonderful paruppu Vadai, all of them are my personal favorites.
Masal Vadai aka Chana dal vada has a slight edge though. It is easy to make, high in protein and healthy. Just like a medu vada it is made from soaked dal as the main ingredient. However this kadala paruppu vadai wins because I always love a crunchy vada. So occasionally I make it as a side for lunch too.
It is a my kind of dish, since it is highly customizable. RK likes his little thick, so that he can enjoy both the crispy outside and the soft center. I like mine little thin, perfectly crispy and crunchy. And my FIL likes his soaked in the lovely south Indian kuzhambu (gravy), so that it would be juicy and tangy.
Whichever way you might want to eat it, one thing is for sure. You would be mesmerized by the wonderful taste of the masal vadai 🙂
Masal Vadai (Masala Vada)
Masal Vadai
Youtube Video
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Chana Dal
- 1 Tbsp Whole Urad Dal
- 1 Tbsp Raw Rice
- 6 cloves Garlic
- 1 inch Ginger Chopped
- 2 Green Chilli
- 1 tsp Fennel Seed
- 1 small size Onion Finely Chopped
- 1 sprig Curry Leaves Finely Chopped
- ½ tsp Salt Adjust as needed
- Oil For Frying ( I used Sunflower oil)
Instructions
- First wash and soak the Chana Dal, urad dal and raw rice in sufficient water for about 5 hrs.
- Add Garlic, Ginger, Green Chillies, Fennel Seeds to a mixie / food processor and grind it coarsely. Just a few pulses is enough.
- Drain the water from the dals. Add 2 Tbsp of the dal to the mixing bowl and keep it aside. Add the remaining soaked lentils to the mixie and grind it to a very coarse paste. Transfer the coarse mixture to the mixing bowl.
- Add the salt, curry leaves, chopped onion and mix nicely until combined into a dough.
- Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying. Take a small portion of the dough, roll it into a small ball and flatten it using palms of your hand. Refer to my video here
- Fry them in oil at medium heat until they are nicely golden brown. Remove from hot oil using a slotted spoon. Drain the vadai on a paper napkin or kitchen paper towels.
- Yummy parippu vada is ready. Enjoy hot with coconut chutney or tomato ketchup.
Notes | FAQ
Submitted this recipe to Remmy's Kitchen First blog anniversary celebration and giveaway.
caren says
these look beautiful, I am allergic to rice, any thing I could use in place of? thanks
revifood says
Thanks Caren 🙂 The rice is to add a little bit of extra crispiness. You can totally skip the rice without much of a taste or texture difference.