This South Indian fried snack is popular in India and Sri Lanka. It is mainly made with Channa Dal (Lentils) and chilies. Once you start eating these delicious savory, spicy fritters, you may not be able to stop.
The first step to making your Masala Vadai is to soak your Lentils. You will want to soak them for 6-8 hour or overnight. You can see that the dry lentils on the left soften and increase in size as they are soaked. I soaked 3 cups of lentils for this dish overnight.
Then....
Drain your Channa Lentils well and divide into 2 parts. In a food processor grind/pulse one half of the lentils into a semi-fine paste. Coarse grind the other half of the lentils (leaving some lentil pieces almost whole. Add them together in a bowl.
Now add the spices and aromatics:1 medium size onion finely chopped
2 Tbs of dried red chili pieces (or to taste)
20-30 curry leaves torn into pieces
2-4 green chilies (Serranos) chopped finely
2-3 garlic cloves grated
1 inch of ginger grated
1 Tbs of red chili powder (or to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Now mix all these ingredients with the pulverized Channa Dal/Lentils.
Form the Masala Vadai a little smaller than a golf ball size and shaped into a patty. I placed them on a microwave safe plate because the next step is to pre-cook them in the microwave. **I got this tip from another recipe and it works great. You will microwave about a dozen vadai for about 2 minutes (depending on your microwave). They will become firmer to the touch (but not hard). This also cuts down on the frying time.
Heat canola oil on med-high heat and when hot start frying 3-4 vadai at a time until fully cooked. I cooked them for about 2 minutes in the hot oil. You don't want your oil too hot so not to burn the vadai. Test out the first batch and adjust the heat of the oil accordingly. Drain on a paper towel and continue frying.
Serves as an appetizer or simply a snack. Yields about 30-40 vadai depending on the size. Enjoy.
