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vazhaipoo vadai

Vazhaipoo Vadai

Revathi Palani
Vazhaipoo Vadai is a super delicious South Indian snack / appetizer made from chana dal and the banana flower / blossom. Deep fried until crispy and golden.
Prep Time 5 hours 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 15 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine Indian
Servings 16

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ Cup Chana Dal
  • 1 Tbsp Raw Rice
  • 2 Green Chilli
  • 1 ½ tsp Fennel Seed
  • 1 ¼ Cup Banana Flower (Finely Chopped)
  • ¼ Cup Onion (Finely Chopped)
  • 1 sprig Curry Leaves (Finely Chopped
  • ¾ tsp Salt (Adjust per taste)
  • tsp Asafoetida
  • Oil - For Frying

Instructions
 

  • First wash and soak the Chana Dal and raw rice in sufficient water for about 5 hrs.
    <br><br><img src="//revisfoodography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/mav-1.jpg" alt="vadai" width="48%" />&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="//revisfoodography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/mav-2.jpg" alt="vadai" width="48%" />
  • Add Green Chilli, Fennel to a mixie and grind it coarsely. Just a few pulses is enough.
    <br><br><img src="//revisfoodography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/vavada-3.jpg" alt="vadai" width="48%" />&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="//revisfoodography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/vavada-4.jpg" alt="vadai" width="48%" />
  • Drain the water from the dal. Reserve 1 Tbsp of the dal and add the remaining dal to the mixie/blender and grind it to a very coarse paste.
    <br><br><img src="//revisfoodography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/vavada-5.jpg" alt="vadai" width="48%" />&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="//revisfoodography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/vavada-6.jpg" alt="vadai" width="48%" />
  • Add the chopped banana flower to the blender and give a few pulses to get it roughly mixed with the dal.
    <br><br><img src="//revisfoodography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/vavada-7.jpg" alt="vadai" width="48%" />&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="//revisfoodography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/vavada-8.jpg" alt="vadai" width="48%" />
  • Transfer the ground mixture to a mixing bowl. Add the reserved 1 Tbsp dal, onion, curry leaves, salt and asafoetida. Mix well until combined.
    <br><br><img src="//revisfoodography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/vavada-9.jpg" alt="vadai" width="48%" />&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="//revisfoodography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/vavada-10.jpg" alt="vadai" width="48%" />
  • Heat oil in a kadai. Take a small portion of the dough, roll it into a ball and flatten it using your palms.
    <br><br><img src="//revisfoodography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/vavada-11.jpg" alt="vadai" width="48%" />&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="//revisfoodography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/vavada-12.jpg" alt="vadai" width="48%" />
  • Fry them in oil at medium heat until they are nicely golden brown. Drain the vadai on a paper napkin.
    <br><br><img src="//revisfoodography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/vavada-15.jpg" alt="vadai" width="48%" />&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="//revisfoodography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/vavada-16.jpg" alt="vadai" width="48%" />
  • Enjoy hot.
    <br><br><img src="//revisfoodography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/vazhaipoo-vadai-1.jpg" alt="vazhaipoo vadai" width="100%" />&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="//revisfoodography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/vazhaipoo-vadai-2.jpg" alt="vazhaipoo vadai" width="100%" />&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="//revisfoodography.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/vazhaipoo-vadai-3.jpg" alt="vazhaipoo vadai" width="100%" />

Notes | FAQ

- Drain the dal nicely before grinding. Also, squeeze the water out of the chopped banana flower completely. You should not add any water while grinding.
- Reserving 1 Tbsp of the dals before grinding is to give a nice texture to the vadai.
- Do not grind to fine paste. The ground paste should be coarse to give the vadai a nice texture.
- Fry at medium heat and in batches, so that the vadai gets a chance to cook through till the center.
- Refer to my post here to know How to clean the banana flower.