Parippu Vada-Lentil/Dal Fritters/Split Pigeon Pea Croquettes

Ingredients

• Chana dal (split bengal gram/kadala parippu) - 2 cups

• Onion - 1 big, finely chopped

• Green chilli - 2-3, finely chopped

• Ginger - 1-2 tsp, finely chopped

• Fennel seeds - ¼ tsp (optional)

• Curry leaves - 3-4 stems, finely chopped

• Kayam (asafetida) - ⅛ tsp

• Salt

• Oil

Method: Soak chana dal in water for 2 hours. Drain the water completely. Make sure that the water is dried well, pat dry the dal with a clean kitchen towel. Crush the soaked and drained dal, just run it in mixie for a few seconds. Make sure you dont grind it to a smooth paste. Add all ingredients except oil to the crushed dal and gently mix it together. Make small balls with the dal mix (gooseberry size). Heat oil for deep frying pan on high flame. When oil is really hot, reduce the flame to low-medium and add the vada. Before adding to the oil, just flatten each ball in your palm. Wet your hands before flattening the dough. It is better to flatten the dough just before adding to the oil, otherwise it may break. Fry till the vadas (fritters) become golden brown or if you like it extra crispy, fry till you get a darker shade of brown. Drain excess oil on a tissue paper. Serve hot.

Notes: It is better to make small size vada, so that it gets cooked well. It is important that the water is drained well, otherwise the batter may become runny and you will not be able to shape it well. If you want the vadas to be really crispy, fry it till it becomes a bit darker shade of brown.

Happy Cooking!

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