Masala Vada | Paruppu Vada

What is masala vada?

Masala vada is a crunchy South Indian deep-fried chickpea fritter. It is made by grinding soaked chana dal, which, contrary to its name, is actually chickpeas that are cut and polished. Next, the chana dal is folded in with aromatics like cilantro, ginger, garlic, and curry leaves and fried to crispy perfection.

Tips to make crunchy vadas

• Do not over-grind the chana dal - The tricky part of making paruppu vadas is knowing when the chickpeas (chana dal) are ground enough. If you over-grind the mixture, you will get dense masala vadas, and if you don't grind it finely enough, then the vadas will fall apart in the oil. The test to know when the chickpeas are ground enough is that when you squeeze the vadas in your hands they form a patty without falling apart.
• Chickpea flour acts as a binder. The chickpea flour is insurance in this recipe to ensure the mixture easily binds together.
• Cut the onion and curry leaves by hand. Try not to use the food processor. When testing this recipe initially, I added these ingredients into the food processor. However, the onions and curry leaves become too fine and don't add textural contrast to the dish. Leaving the onions and curry leaves in larger pieces creates spaces and air in the vadas, making them lighter, and the bigger pieces of onions and curry leaves also crisp and caramelize in the vadas.
• Fry the vadas on low heat (325F) for 4-5 minutes. The chickpeas (chana dal) need time to crisp and cook. If you cook them on high heat, the inside will still be uncooked while the outside will cook too quickly.

Mains to pair with with masala vadas

You can eat masala vadas as though they are falafels by nesting them inside pita bread with fresh veggies and a yogurt sauce. However, traditionally masala vadas are eaten as a crunchy side dish with rice and a dal-based dish. Here are some mains that pair well with masala vadas:

Masala Vada | Paruppu Vada

Shri Repp

Masala vada, also known as paruppu vada is a South deep-fried chickpea fritter made with ginger, curry leaves, and onions similar to the texture of a falafel. It is a crunchy dish that pairs well as a side dish or as an appetizer!

4 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 3 hours hrs

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Course Snack

Servings 14 vadas

Product Reccs

Curry Leaves

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Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 1 cup (200 g) chana dal (Note: This recipe will not work with cooked/canned chickpeas or cooked chana dal)
• 1 Thai chili
• 1 inch (9 g) ginger
• 4 (12 g) garlic cloves
• ½ bunch (20 g) cilantro finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ (140 g) red onion finely chopped
• 25-30 curry leaves finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons (21 g) besan or chickpea flour
• oil for frying

Instructions

 

1. Soak 1 cup (200 g) chana dal in water for ~3 hours. There should be enough water to completely submerge the dal. Drain the water after that time period, making sure not to leave behind any of the water! It’s important not to over-soak the dal, as it will then absorb a lot of oil when it is fried.
2. Add 1 Thai chili, 1 inch (9 g) ginger and 4 (12 g) garlic cloves to a food processor and grind until it forms a fine mince. Scrape the sides of the food processor if needed to help move the ingredients back to the center.
3. Add the soaked and drained chana dal (make sure there isn't any lingering water), ½ bunch (20 g) cilantro, ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt into the food processor. Pulse the ingredients until it forms a medium coarse texture (you don't want to form a paste).Test the mixture by taking a small handful and squeezing it in the palm of your hands and then place it on a sheet tray. It should be able to hold its shape without falling apart. If it continues to fall apart, grind it longer. If you over-grind the chana dal to a paste it will result in a denser masala vada. If you under-grind the mixture it will fall apart in the oil.
4. Empty the mixture into a large bowl. Add diced onions, 25-30 curry leaves, and 3 tablespoons (21 g) besan or chickpea flour and mix with a spatula. The reason we add the onions and curry leaves at this stage is to ensure that the food processor doesn’t blitz these ingredients too finely!
5. Take about 2 tablespoons of the mixture in the palm of your hands. Take your time and use pressure to flatten and form a ½ inch disc for the vadas. If you are a beginner, it helps to form smaller vadas that are ~1 tablespoon each. Set the formed vadas on a sheet tray until ready to fry.
6. Heat a deep and wide heavy-bottomed pot with ~2 inches of vegetable oil to 325 F. Set up a sheet tray with a wire rack next to the oil to transfer the cooked vadas.
7. Gently add the vadas in a single layer in the pot and do not touch them for at least 1 minute or until the vadas have formed a bit of a crust. Fry on each side for ~2 minutes or until the vadas are golden brown on both sides. Frying on a lower heat ensures that the chana dal has enough time to cook all the way through before the outside gets brown.
8. Remove the vadas with a slotted spoon and place on a wire rack. Sprinkle with salt while still warm. Enjoy immediately as an appetizer or as a crunchy side dish.

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Nutrition

Calories: 125kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 3gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.03gSodium: 168mgPotassium: 29mgFiber: 4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 91IUVitamin C: 37mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 1mg

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