This is an Indian snack like a savoury fritter that is eaten for breakfast or tea-time. It is made from Urud dal lentils. We used to call it tosay beans. It is tiny and white and comes split or as a whole and can be bought from Indian grocery shops.
2 cups of urud dal lentils
Soak the lentils for 6 to 8 hours so it softens enough to be ground to a smooth paste.
Add a little water so it can be ground easily. The consistency should be a little thicker than cake batter.
1 onion, diced finely
1 inch ginger, grated or minced very finely
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1 sprig curry leaves, finely chopped
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
A few sprigs cilantro, finely chopped
Mix all these ingredients together with the Vadai batter. Stir until thoroughly combined.
(If you are making for children to eat, you may want to leave out the green chillies so it won't be spicy hot. You can serve with green chillies on the side.)
Heat a shallow pot with oil enough to fry to fry these vadai fritters. Keep a bowl of water nearby. Wet your hands. Spoon a dollop (about one tablespoon) of batter onto your hand near fingers. Make a hole in the centre. Overturn your hand above the oil and move your fingers a bit to dislodge the batter so it drops into the hot oil. Be careful not to get burned. As soon as batter leaves your hand, pull it away. Dip hand in the water and begin again.
Drain the fried Vadai fritters when it is browned and put them on kitchen paper towels to soak the oil. Serve with yogurt or coconut chutney.
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