Vada – Fried Lentil Savory Dumplings

So, all sweet and no spice makes me a sad gal…I am partial to savory items than sweet. A typical south Indian starter is the fried lentil savory dumplings. Also known as vada, it is versatile and can be accompanied with almost anything – even yoghurt. It resembles a doughnut and can be made with different variety of lentils. Shaping the doughnut is a bit tricky – thanks to the sticky dough. The texture of the dough makes it tough to shape it in a nice round doughnut shape. The work around is to keep your hands watery so that the dough doesn’t stick to your hands when you shape the dumplings. Once you shape the dough, you need to immediately drop in hot oil to make sure it doesn’t stick to your hands. You can mix onions or chopped cabbage to the dough and give it an extra veggie flavor. If you struggle with the shape (which i did, till I practiced to get it right) simply roll the dough into small balls and fry them.

Vada – Fried Lentil Savory Dumplings

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• Author: Suchitra Vaidyaram
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

These savory fried lentil dumplings, known as vada, are a delicious South Indian starter, perfect with yogurt or chutney.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 cup (240 ml) urad dal (white gram/lentils)
• 2 tsp rice
• 2-3 curry leaves, chopped (optional)
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 green chili
• Oil, for frying

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Instructions

1. Soak the urad dal and rice in water for an hour.
2. Drain the water completely after soaking.
3. Blend the soaked urad dal and rice in a mixer to form a smooth dough, adding the green chili, black peppercorns, and salt during blending.
4. Mix in the chopped curry leaves and coriander leaves into the dough.
5. Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat.
6. Wet your hands to prevent the dough from sticking, then shape the dough into small balls or doughnut shapes.
7. Carefully drop the shaped dough into the hot oil immediately to prevent sticking.
8. Fry the dumplings until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside.
9. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
10. Serve hot, optionally with yogurt or chutney.

Notes

• Keep your hands wet while shaping the dough to prevent sticking.
• If shaping into doughnuts is difficult, simply form small balls.
• You can add onions or chopped cabbage to the dough for extra flavor.
• Serve with yogurt or chutney for a complete experience.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Appetizer
• Cuisine: Indian

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 150
• Sugar: 1
• Sodium: 200
• Fat: 5
• Carbohydrates: 20
• Fiber: 4
• Protein: 6
• Cholesterol: 0

If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These

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• Lentil and Beet Sliders
• Roasted Tomato and Lentil Soup with Masala Chickpeas
• Daal Poori: Lentil Stuffed Deep Fried Indian Bread

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the recipe soak a small amount of rice alongside the urad dal?

The 2 teaspoons of rice are soaked and blended together with the urad dal; rice adds a light crispness to the fried exterior that plain urad dal alone would not produce, helping achieve the golden, crunchy shell characteristic of vada.

How do I shape the dough without it sticking to my hands?

The article and notes both say to keep your hands wet while shaping — the moisture prevents the sticky dough from adhering. Drop each piece into the hot oil immediately after shaping, before it can stick back to your hand.

What if I cannot get the doughnut shape right?

The article acknowledges the doughnut shape is tricky even with practice, and both the article and notes explicitly say you can simply roll the dough into small balls and fry them — the flavor and texture are the same.