Food talk
 Vada break

The irresistible masala vadai from the South can be enjoyed both hot
and cold, writes Pushpesh Pant

IF there is one snack that can claim to be a pan-Indian favourite, it surely is bada. There are other contenders — samosa, tikki, bhajiya, bonda etc but the lentil-based dumpling enjoys a position of undisputed primacy. Partly, this is due to its ancient lineage and sacred associations; vadak is mentioned in ayurvedic text under the head kritannavarga and continues to be an integral and indispensable part of prescribed menus for orthodox Hindu marriages and other ceremonies.

To cut a long story short — bada/vada has many interesting avatars that assert its status as a signature dish in different regions. In Punjab, the bada soaked in dahi metamorphose almost unnoticed into a bhalla, in Udaipur in Rajasthan we have tasted a bewitching gujiya descended from it. It was in Varanasi that we discovered the joys of a bada born of husked mung daal. In Maharashtra, the sabudana vada reigns supreme but it is south of the Vindhyas that the vada flourishes despite the challenge posed by idli, upma, dosa and uttapam.

Tamil Nadu takes justifiable pride in melt-in-the-mouth lighter than air medu vadai that are as seductive when draped in sweetish curd and become tair vadai. Quite often those addicted to tiffin order an idli-vada combo. Bits of ginger and chilli tickle the palate and actually you seldom need any accompaniment. Don’t get us wrong. We ourselves are quite addicted to coconut chutney adorned with a tempering laced with mustard seeds, whole red chillies and curry leaves and, at a pinch, can consume spoonfuls of red tomato or green coriander chutneys and have nothing against rasam or kanji vada either.

But what really is irresistible is the spicier cousin — the masala vada aka the dal vada. We couldn’t have enough of it during a recent trip down south. The bonus is that it can be enjoyed both hot and cold and that is something that can’t be said of the good old medu vadai.

Masala Vadai

Ingredients

Channa dal 250gm

Fennel seeds 1 tsp

Red chillies 4

Onions 120 gm

A piece of ginger 1/2 inch

Curry leaves 24

Cooking oil to deep fry vadai

Salt to taste

Method

Pick channa dal, wash in running water and drain. Remove stems and wipe red chillies clean with a moist cloth. Put dal in a pan, add fennel seeds and red chillies. Cover with enough water and reserve for two hours. Peel, wash and finely chop onions. Scrape, wash and finely chop ginger. Clean, wash and chop curry leaf. Remove and reserve 50 gm of the soaked channa dal. Drain and put the remaining dal, fennel and red chillies in the blender and grind into a coarse paste. Remove, add all other ingredients, including the reserved dal, and salt, mix well. Divide into 16 equal portions and flatten between the palms into patties of 2" diameter.

Heat enough oil. Add the vadai patties and deep fry over medium heat until golden brown. Remove to absorbent paper to drain the excess fat. Serve with chutney of choice with hot tea or coffee.





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