Vadakari

This is a healthier version, where the vadai’s are steamed rather than fried and the taste is better and is not oily.

Ingredients:
1 cup of Bengal gram (channa dal) soaked overnight and coarsely ground.
½ cup finely chopped onions.
Oil for cooking.
Salt as per taste.
4 whole green chillies (with team removed)
1 small chopped tomato.
1 tsp of broken spices (1 cradamon , clove and cinnamon, small bay leaf)
¼ tsp of saunf.
½ tsp of turmeric.
½ tsp of ginger-garlic paste.
1 sprig of curry leaves.
2 tsps of chopped coriander.

Preparation:
1. Spread the vada mavu (ground Bengal gram mixed with a little salt in a idli steamer plate and steam it till cooked.
2. In a pan, heat about 3 tsps of oil, add the onions, curry leaves, green chillis, saunf and spices and cook till onions are translucent.
3. Then add the turmeric powder, the ginger-garlic paste and tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes or till tomatoes become tender.
4. Now, add the steamed vada’s and mix them thoroughly, add salt and ½ cup of water and cook till the contents become soft and taste is even.
5. The vadais should be all broken and oil should start coming on top, now garnish with coriander and remove from fire.
Best eaten with steaming hot idli or ghee dosai.

Note: For those who like the vadi’s crisp, but don’t want excess oil, you can spread the vada batter in a greased tawa, pour a tsp of oil around sides like dosa and cook it covered with a lid in slow fire. Cook both sides and when it becomes a little crisp can be removed, broken and added to the contents in pan and cooked normally.