Masala Vadai – spicy lentil fritters

Ingredients for 15 servings:

• ½ cup Lentils, red (Masoor dhal)
• ½ cup lentils, black (urad dhal, urad bean [Vigna mungo])
• ½ cup chickpeas, black (Bengal dhal, khala channa) or regular
• 6 chili pepper(s), red
• 4 chili peppers, green, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Asant, (Asafoetida) powder
• 1 onion(s), finely chopped
• 3 cm ginger root, finely chopped
• 1 bunch of coriander leaves, finely chopped
• some curry leaves, cut into small strips
• n. B. Salt
• some oil (frying oil)

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours

South Indian, vegetarian, falafel-like

Soak the three dhal components (available in Indian/Asian stores) in water for 1 hour and let them swell. Then pour them through a sieve and drain well. Purée the soaked dhal mixture with the red chilies (using a blender or food processor). Add salt, diced onions, curry leaves, coriander leaves, diced green chilies, asfoetida powder, and ginger to the paste/batter. Scoop a portion of the batter into your hand (a piece of moistened cling film can be helpful). Flatten slightly (like meatballs) to a diameter of about 6 cm, carefully drop into hot oil, and fry until golden brown and crispy. You can also make a hole in the center of the batter to create doughnut-like vadais. If you prefer a less spicy vadais, omit the onions and ginger. This classic version is then called amai vadai instead of masala vadai. A little more etymological background information: Masala: spicy, spice mixture; vadai: fritters made from pulses. Dhal (also dal) comes from Sanskrit and means “split”; the fruits are peeled and sometimes halved. This reduces the soaking time.