Masala Curd Vada – A delicious deep-fried black gram snack (Gluten Free)

My dear friends,

I apologize for not having been able to post new recipes for you, these last few weeks. It was pepper season here and I had to do my part in picking, threshing, drying and cleaning our organic black pepper. I love the work, and this is the only black pepper I use in all my cooking. To make up for my absence, I am posting 2 beautiful recipes for you, with a promise of more to come. Happy cooking and happier tasting to all of you!

I have tasted curd vada (dahi vada / taire vada) from several places, all over India, but the one curd vada which satisfied my palate and satiated my tummy always several steps above all others is the masala curd vada my mother used to make for us kids at home. The whole family would compete with one another to finish off the vadas and no matter how many we ate, we would still be greedy for more!

The secret of its incomparable taste, I found, lay not in any special secret ingredient, but simply in the meticulous method of its preparation. Even though a food processor was available, my mother would always use the granite hand grinder to grind the batter to its superfine, fluffy texture, before she would gather it up for frying. Of course, the ‘mixies’ (food processors) of those days were simply not as powerful or efficient as those available today. Whenever the nostalgic memories of my childhood bring forth the vivid pictures of my mother’s masala curd vadas on the screen of my mind, I surely make some for my husband and myself (our children do not like curd, so they get plain vadas and green mint chutney!). Here, I gladly present you with a dish which is sure to haunt you in your dreams, making you yearn and drool for it!

Print Recipe

Masala Curd Vada Yum

Deep-fried black gram vada soaked in coconut masala curd. A totally irresistible, mouthwatering, soft, tangy and savory evening snack.

Cuisine

Indian

Prep Time

1 hour

Cook Time

30 minutes

Passive Time

90 minutes

Servings

people

Ingredients

For the vada:

• 250 gm split black gram lentils (urud dal)
• 8 gm ginger peeled
• 20 gm hot green chilies
• 1 gm asafoetida powder
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 10 gm salt
• 120 ml water
• 500 ml cooking oil (to deep fry)

For the masala curd (vegans, see note):

• 1000 ml curd
• 280 gm grated coconut
• 15 gm ginger peeled
• 40 gm hot green chilies
• 4 sprigs curry leaves
• 2 gm asafoetida powder
• 2 gm mustard seeds
• 30 ml coconut oil
• 1 plant coriander leaves (cilantro) (I have used homegrown culantro in place of cilantro as coriander leaves were not readily available)
• 20 gm salt

For the garnish (optional):

• 1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds

Cuisine Indian Prep Time 1 hour Cook Time 30 minutes Passive Time 90 minutes Servings people Ingredients For the vada: 250 gm split black gram lentils (urud dal) 8 gm ginger peeled 20 gm hot green chilies 1 gm asafoetida powder 1 sprig curry leaves 10 gm salt 120 ml water 500 ml cooking oil (to deep fry) For the masala curd (vegans, see note): 1000 ml curd 280 gm grated coconut 15 gm ginger peeled 40 gm hot green chilies 4 sprigs curry leaves 2 gm asafoetida powder 2 gm mustard seeds 30 ml coconut oil 1 plant coriander leaves (cilantro) (I have used homegrown culantro in place of cilantro as coriander leaves were not readily available) 20 gm salt For the garnish (optional): 1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds

Instructions

To prepare the batter for the vada:

1. Soak the black gram lentils in water for an hour. Wash and drain.
2. Put the lentils, the green chilies, the ginger, the asafoetida powder, the curry leaves, the salt, and the water into your food processor and grind to thick, fluffy, superfine paste (take care not to use any more water than specified as you do not want a runny paste). Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

To prepare the masala curd:

1. Wash the jar of your wet grinder thoroughly to get rid of any remnants of the vada batter.
2. Tip in the curd, the grated coconut, the green chilies, the ginger, half of the curry leaves and the salt. Grind for 30 seconds. Transfer to a large serving bowl.
3. Set a skillet on low heat. Tip in the coconut oil and the mustard seeds.
4. As soon as the mustard seeds are about to finish spluttering, tip in the asafoetida powder. Quickly pull the leaves off the remaining curry leaf sprigs and throw them in. Stir once and switch off the heat.
5. Empty the contents of the skillet into the bowl containing the masala curd. Chop the coriander leaves and tip them in.

To deep-fry:

1. Set a wok or deep frying pan on high heat. Pour in the cooking oil. Keep a little bowl of water nearby.
2. As soon as the oil is hot, dip your fingers in the water (or you can use a tablespoon), scoop up a small portion of the batter and release it gently into the hot oil.
3. Remember to moisten your fingertips(or the spoon) after each release so that the batter does not stick to your fingers (or the spoon), but slips neatly into the oil. Carry on with the scooping and releasing, but take care not to overcrowd the wok.
4. Fry for three minutes while turning the vadas frequently.
5. The vadas will become crips and golden brown on the outside and soft and spongy on the inside. Lift out the vadas and drain off the excess oil.

   

To soak the vadas:

1. Put each batch of hot vadas directly into the masala curd. Let them soak in the curd for at least 30 minutes, and do remember to turn them once in between so that they soak in the delicious masala curd uniformly.
2. Garnish with pomegranate seeds (optional) and enjoy! You will feel like having them with every meal!

Recipe Notes

Vegans, please have freshly deep-fried vadas with green mint chutney, avoiding the masala curd entirely. You will be delighted!