Dal Vada (Lentil Fritters)

Ingredients

• 360 g dried red lentils (2 cups (see recipe notes))
• 1 small onion (about 100 g (yellow or red onion can be used))
• 3 - 4 small green chili (or 2 serrano peppers)
• 3 - 4 red chili (optional, or 2 finger red peppers)
• 3 cloves garlic
• ½ inch ginger (skin removed)
• 10 curry leaves
• ¼ cup cilantro (known as coriander leaves in South Asia)
• 1 tsp Sri Lankan curry powder (or use garam masala)
• 1 ¼ tsp sea salt (adjust to your taste)
• 1 pinch hing (optional)
• Vegetable oil (for deep frying)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the lentils in a sieve, and rinse and wash the lentils until the water runs clear.

2. 2

   Transfer the lentils into a large container and completely cover the lentils with room temperature water (add enough water for the lentils to double in size).

3. 3

   Let it soak for a minimum of 1 hour (or up to 2 hours).

4. 4

   When the lentils are almost ready, chop and prepare the rest of the ingredients.

5. 5

   Finely chop the onion, curry leaves, and cilantro. Set aside.

6. 6

   Roughly chop the garlic and ginger. Set aside.

7. 7

   If you’re using chili, you can remove the seeds to reduce the heat if you prefer. Finely chop the chili and set aside.

8. 8

   Strain the soaked lentils through a sieve. Let the excess water strain through the sieve over a bowl to remove as much water as possible. I like to place the lentils on a clean paper towel or cloth napkin to remove excess water.

9. 9

   Set aside about ¼ - ⅓ of the soaked lentils in a bowl.

10. 10

    Place the remaining soaked lentils in the blender jug and add the chopped garlic and ginger.

11. 11

    Blend until the lentil mixture is fairly smooth, and the garlic and ginger are blended well, with some lentil pieces still visible.

12. 12

    Add the remaining lentils into the mixture and pulse a few times only. This will help to yield a coarser texture to the lentil mixture. Scrape all of the mixture into a bowl.

13. 13

    Add the finely chopped onion, chili, curry leaves, cilantro, curry powder, salt, and hing (if using).

14. 14

    Mix well to combine. The mixture should look a little coarse and a little stiff when formed into a ball. If the mixture is very soft, then there might be too much water in the mixture. Please see recipe notes below on how to fix this.

15. 15

    When the mixture is ready, you can start shaping and frying them. I like to shape them as I fry them, but you can also shape them all first, and then fry them after as well.

16. 16

    To prevent the batter sticking to your hands, keep your hands slightly wet. You can also use a cookie scoop to make sure the portions are even, if you like.

17. 17

    For small vada, portion about 1.5 - 2 tbsp (about 15 g) into a ball. Then slightly flatten it. It should still be about ¾ - 1 inch thick.

18. 18

    For medium vada, portion about 3 - 3.5 tbsp (about 30 g) of the mixture and shape into a ball. Then slightly flatten it. It should also still be about ¾ - 1 inch thick.

19. 19

    In a pot, place the oil for deep frying. For even frying, the vada should be able to float in the oil without touching the bottom.

20. 20

    Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches about 350°F / 180°C. Carefully drop the vada into the oil to fry them. Do not overcrowd the pot as this will lower the temperature of the oil (and make the vada oily and soggy).

21. 21

    Fry the vada for about 1.5 - 2 minutes (for small ones), 2 - 2.5 minutes (for medium-sized ones). Until they are a dark golden brown on the outside, and cooked through on the inside.

22. 22

    Break the first fried fritter in half to make sure the inside is evenly cooked. If it's undercooked or raw in the middle, you may need to adjust the oil temperature and frying time to get the correct results.

23. 23

    Place the fried vada in a paper towel lined sieve to drain excess oil. Let it cool down slightly.

24. 24

    Serve while still warm (ideally with green coconut chutney).