Moong dal vadai is a nutritious and wholesome evening snack. This crispy vada is easy to make.
What you need
Moong dal: 1 cup
Rice flour: 3/4 cup
Asafoetida: a pinch
Coconut, grated: 5 tsp
Chana dal, soaked: 2 tsp
Green chillies, cut into small pieces: 3
Coriander leaves, minced: 1/4 cup
Curry leaves: a few
Oil, for frying: 1/4 litre
Onions, chopped (optional): 1/2 cup
Salt: to taste
Cooking instructions
Clean the moong dal and soak in water for atleast an hour.
Drain and cook the moong dal with a pinch of asafoetida in a pressure cooker.
Switch off after the first whistle.
Allow the dal to cool, then mash well.
Add rice flour, salt, soaked chana dal, grated coconut (or onion), green chillie, coriander and curry leaves.
Mix well without adding water (add a little if the batter is too thick).
Make medium-sized balls and keep aside.
In a frying pan take 1/4 litre of oil and heat on medium flame.
On a thin plastic sheet, flatten the balls and make a finger-sized hole in the centre.
Deep fry the vadais, turning them gently till they turn golden-brown.
Pat off excess oil with a tissue.
Serve with fresh coconut chutney or tomato sauce.
(Rama Srinivasan is a homemaker. She loves to cook traditional recipes on her microwave oven.)
