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This is my version of the Indian savoury snack Vadai, known by at least three other names, Vada, Vade and Wada. It's my version as amongst other changes, I have neither the skill or patience to shape it into its typical doughnut shape. That has never deterred me from serving them with coconut chutney and mint chutney or a side of fresh whole green chillies.
For me, the best way to serve this is as pre-dinner nibbles. The presentation and wholesome taste of these vadais will impress your guests enough that they know a delightful meal will soon follow. The danger will be that they eat too many of them and fill up before that!
VADAI, GLUTEN FREE SAVOURY SNACK
Prep: | 30 minutes |
Cook:
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15 minutes
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Inactive:
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6 hours up to overnight to soak lentils/urud dal
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Level:
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Intermediate
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Serves:
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6 to 8 as pre-dinner nibbles
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Oil Temperature:
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340F (170C)
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Can recipe be doubled?
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Yes
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Make ahead?
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Prawn stock can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Batter can be frozen up 6 weeks.
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For prawn stock
If you do not want to make a prawn stock, read up on the alternatives found under ingredients list for batter.
15 medium sized (11 and 1/2 oz) (328 g) prawns with shells and heads
1 Tablespoon oil
4 garlic smashed
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
For batter
1 cup and 2 Tablespoons (9 oz) (250 g) urud dal also known as black gram/lentils. Sometimes labelled as 'white gram/lentils'.
These can be purchased from Indian grocers. The lentils you want to buy are actually off white in colour. The black husks have been removed revealing the inner off white colour of the lentils. You will also find on the grocer's shelves, black gram lentils with husks still attached so they are black in colour. Remember to buy the off whites ones.
Soak the lentils at least 6 hours. I tend to soak them overnight.
3/4 cup prawn stock OR any of the following alternatives:
- 3/4 cup of water and 1/2 of a prawn stock cube/1 teaspoon prawn granules
- 3/4 cup of bottled clam juice
Bottled clam juice can be found at better stocked supermarkets.
- 3/4 cup of water and 1 teaspoon of clam/seafood granules
Korean grocers carry clam/seafood granules on their store shelves.
- 3/4 cup of water and 1 teaspoon of dashi granules
Almost 1 cup (4 and 1/2 oz) (130 g) finely diced purple onions
Use purple onions and not yellow as purple onions are more often than not the onion of choice to be used in Indian cooking.
1/3 cup (1 oz) (28 g) loosely packed finely cut coriander/parsley
2 long sprigs curry leaves, about 2 and 1/2 Tablespoons finely cut
2 large green chillies, remove seeds and finely diced
1 Tablespoon rice flour
This helps give the fritters a crispy edge.
3/4 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon dashi granules OR 1/2 teaspoon prawn/clam/seafood graules granules OR 1/3 of a prawn stock cube (pulverise this with a knife before using)
I prefer using dashi granules as it does add the umami flavour that I am after into the vadai.
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
This helps soften the lentils.
pinch of asafoetida
Refer to photograph attached under 'Directions' below to find out what it looks like.
Asafoetida is the resin derived from the herbaceous ferula family. You can buy this greyish brownish coloured powdered spice at your Indian grocer. I use this for its anti-flatulence properties. It is an ingredient used as far as I am aware, primarily in Indian cooking. Its use has not transcended borders as much as other spices associated with Indian cooking. Perhaps because it smells dangerously sulphuric. The smell might just shock you enough to send you reeling back a few steps. I keep the plastic container where it comes stored in when I buy it, in a plastic bag and then in a glass jar. That is how pungent it smells.
Add too much of it in your food and it overwhelms the dish. I am very conservative with the amount I add. I cannot accurately tell you the flavour it imparts as it is a totally different spice. All I know is if I add it to my lentil/bean dishes, my tummy feels a whole lot better. If I really have to describe the taste it imparts, I would say it is a mix of onion, fennel and garlic.
Omit if you cannot bring yourself to buy or use it.
I do use it in my recipe for Coconut Chutney.
For frying
Enough neutral tasting oil (for instance, not olive oil but sunflower, safflower or rice bran) to come up to about 2" (5 cm) deep in your frying pot.
To serve
One, a combination or all of the following:
- Fresh green chillies
- Coconut Chutney
- Mint Chutney
- Tomato Salsa or Sauce not ketchup please. Not authentic at all but neither is my recipe. I open a bottle of Prego Marinara Sauce. I used to make a rather nice Tomato Chutney but I have not made it in years so the recipe is quite fuzzy in my head. I have to do a bit of recipe work to replicate the taste before I can recreate the chutney and post that. In the meantime, Prego will do for me.
For Prawn Stock
Wash prawns. Remove shells and heads. Set aside. Save the prawn meat for another use as we will not need it.
In a pot, lightly brown garlic in oil. Add prawn shells and heads and fry until it turns orange and smells fragrant. I fry them at least 5 to 8 minutes on medium-high heat until it looks as if it is coming close to being burnt. Frying it thus enhances the flavour of the prawns. Watch the garlic though.
Add water and salt. Boil down until you have 1 cup of stock even though the recipe calls for 3/4 cup of stock. Always better to have some extra.
Use a potato masher to mash up prawn shells and heads in the pot. Drain and set stock aside.
For Batter
Drain and rinse the urud dal well. Drain well so that you can add as much prawn stock as possible.
Grind urud dal with prawn stock until you have a smooth and thick batter similar to hummus. Thin down further with more stock if required. I doubt you will need to. The batter has to be thick.
Remove urud dal from mixer into a large bowl and mix in all other ingredients.
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| Asafoetida is in the glass dish at the bottom right. On its right, in the same dish are dashi granules. |
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| The batter has a thick but somewhat loose consistency. |
Place the batter into a heavy duty plastic freezer bag. At this point you can freeze the batter as is.
If you are frying them straight away, heat 2" (5 cm) of oil in your frying pot to 340F (170C).
Snip off 3/8" (1 cm) off the corner of the freezer bag. Pipe a circle and a half of batter (6' to 8" long) (15 to 20 cm long ) directly into the hot oil. There is really no right shape. Some end up looking like wriggles. It is fine.
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| These vadais are served with green chillies. The way to eat them is to take a bite of vadai and then a bite of chilli. The savouriness of the vadai and the sweetness of the onions within goes well with the fresh tasting crisp green chillies. Be careful though as some chillies can be spicy hot! I usually stick to eating the bottom half of the chilli and then give up. It gets way too spicy for me from that point up. |
Turn them after they start to colour on one side. They usually cook in about 2 to 5 minutes. Do not overcrowd your pot or the temperature will drop and the vadai will be oily and soggy.
Drain before serving with your choice of whole fresh green chillies, mint chutney, coconut chutney or Prego Marinara Sauce. They are all good!
Tips
- Freeze them to use as a quick snack
- Serve them for tea with a cup of Chai/Masala Tea or a refreshing pineappleade.
If you want something nondairy to go with vadais then try my pineappleade. It can be served hot or cold. Either way, it is always refreshing. The recipe is also filed under Ham With Honey Butter Tea Sandwiches. Just look at the pictures. I need a pineappleade now and maybe just one vadai. Someone make them for me!
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?
The recipe for Coconut Chutney! Don't limit yourself to serving this chutney with just vadais. They are good with pakoras and tortilla chips straight out from a bag!
