Name: Masala Vada (Chana Dal Vada)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 160 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ½ cup Split Bengal Gram, soaked for 2 hours; ½ Onion, medium, finely chopped; ½ tsp Fennel Seeds, saunf, crucial for authentic flavor; 1 Dried Red Chili Peppers, torn into pieces; 1 Green Chili Pepper, finely chopped; ½ inch Ginger, roughly chopped; 1½ clove Garlic, roughly chopped; 8 Curry Leaves, finely chopped; 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped; ⅛ tsp Asafoetida; ½ tsp Salt, to taste; as needed Cooking Oil, for deep frying

2 hr 40 mintotal

40 min hands-on2 hr hands-off

Prep 20 min · Cook 20 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Medium

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Method

Drain the soaked chana dal completely. Remove a small portion of the whole soaked dal and keep it aside in a bowl.
In a mixer jar, add the fennel seeds, dried red chillies, ginger, and garlic. Pulse them coarsely.
Add the remaining drained chana dal to the mixer. Pulse it a few times to make a coarse, crumbly mixture. Do not add water, and do not make it a smooth paste.
Transfer this coarse dal mixture into a large bowl. Add the reserved whole chana dal, finely chopped onions, green chillies, curry leaves, coriander, hing, and salt.
Mix everything well with your hands. The mixture should hold its shape when tightly pressed together.
Heat oil for deep frying in a kadhai on medium heat.
Grease your palms lightly. Take a small portion of the mixture, roll it into a tight ball, and flatten it into a disc (patty). The edges can be slightly rough.
Gently slide the vadas into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan.
Fry on medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Flip them gently and fry the other side until they are deeply golden brown and highly crispy.
4–5 min
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

How to tell it's done

A wildly crunchy, rugged exterior dotted with caramelized onions and whole lentils, leading to a dense, herbal, and highly spiced center.

Getting it right

Tip

The coarse grinding without water and retaining a few whole lentils are the master secrets for a shatteringly crisp exterior with a perfectly textured, earthy bite.

What to serve it with

A classic monsoon evening snack. Pair it with a steaming cup of filter coffee or masala chai and coconut chutney.

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Ingredients