Mupparuppu vadai/ Fritters made with three different dhals

 

My mom taught me how to make this vadai. This is a variation of the usual vadai recipe.  We normally make vadai either with channa dhal or urid dhal. But in this recipe channa dhal, urid dhal and moong dhal are added in a ratio of 1:1:1 to make crispy vadais. You can also use these vadais to make urundai kuzhambu, which is a mouth-watering delicacy. As I have already mentioned if you use different variety of pulses in your cooking you will get all the necessary amino acids and in this way vegetarians can meet their protein requirements. I was not sure how these vadais will turn out since I was making them for the first time. But they turned out to be extremely tasty, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Do try it as it makes a tasty and healthy snack.

Ingredients :

Channa dhal ( kadalai paruppu)- 1 cup

Moong dhal ( pasiparuppu)-  1 cup

Urid dhal (uzhundham paruppu)- 1 cup

Onion- 1 no (red onions are better)

Spring onions (optional)- I had some at home so I minced them and added to the batter, you can also use spinach

Green chillies- 4 nos

Curry leaves- 10 leaflets (minced fine)

Ginger- ½ inch piece minced finely

Cumin seeds- 1 tspn

Chilli powder- 1 ½ tspn (adjust according to your taste)

Asafoetida- few pinches

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Method :

Soak all three dhals together in water for one hour. Then grind them together with enough salt and asafoetida powder into a coarse batter. Cut onion and green chillies into small pieces. Mince ginger and curry leaves. Now add everything to the ground batter and mix well by adding chilli powder. Taste the batter and adjust salt once again. Now the vada batter is ready. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Take small lime sized batter and drop them in oil. Do not overcrowd the pan. Take them out when the vadas become golden brown in colour. Fry all the batter in batches. Crispy vadas are ready to be relished.

Taste enhancing tips for this recipe : Grind the batter into a coarse paste. Take care that the vada batter is thick and not watery. When grinding add water in very small amount and only when it is absolutely necessary. Do not make large vadas. Then the inside of the vadas remains uncooked. Happy cooking !!!