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Indian

North Indian Kanji Vada

North Indian kanji vada is a Holi drink-and-snack dish with fermented mustard water and soft lentil vadas soaked until tangy.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 7 September 2026

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North Indian Kanji Vada

73 hrtotal

1 hr hands-on72 hr hands-off

Prep 30 min · Cook 30 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Medium
Spice
Medium
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop, Oven.

Kanji ferments for 2-3 days in sunlight, and the dals soak before grinding; the vadas then sit in kanji so they absorb the sour mustard flavor.

Method

  1. Synthesize the Kanji base: Secure a thoroughly sterilized glass or ceramic containment pan. Add the coarsely fractured mustard seeds, red chilli powder, black salt, turmeric powder, and the intensely potent asafoetida into the chamber.

  2. Flood the pan with the boiled and cooled water. Stir well. Cover with muslin or a loose lid. Keep it in sunlight for a 2-3 day fermentation, stirring once daily.

  3. On cooking day, make the vada batter: Drain the soaked moong and urad dal, then grind them with very little water into a thick, slightly coarse paste.

  4. Move the ultra-thick batter into a large bowl. Add salt. Now, whip in one direction with an open hand for 5-7 minutes. This whipping adds air and makes the batter lighter.

    5–7 min

  5. Heat oil in a deep kadhai on medium heat. Drop small balls of batter into the hot oil.

  6. Sustain the fry until an impenetrable, uniform, deep golden-brown armor encapsulates the spheres. Remove quickly and immediately put the hot vadas into a cold water for a 15-minute soak, forcing total internal softening and serious lipid purging (oil release).

  7. Press gently between your palms to each soaked vada, squeezing out the water without breaking it.

  8. Add the drained vadas directly into the fermented kanji. Soak for 1-2 hours, so they absorb the tangy mustard water before serving.

    1–2 hr

How to tell it's done

The vadas should be soft and porous after soaking, and the kanji should be sharp, tangy and mustard-forward.

Getting it right

Tip

Use clean glass or ceramic for fermenting and taste the kanji each day. It should turn pleasantly sour and mustardy, not spoiled or fizzy-smelling.

What to serve it with

Serve kanji vada chilled for Holi in glasses or kulhads, with one or two squeezed vadas in each portion.

Common mistakes

The kanji smells off or the vadas feel greasy.
Ferment in a clean non-metal jar, stir daily, fry the vadas on medium heat, then soak and squeeze them in water before adding to kanji.

Storing and reheating

Refrigerate fermented kanji for up to 4 days. Keep soaked vadas refrigerated in the kanji and discard if the smell turns unpleasant.