CHANNA VADA

          

                                       One of the famous snacks throughout India is channa vada. They are very tasty in road side stalls. After my marriage I tried them so many times and always feel they are not as tasty as road side one .For years I made changes to it and finally my children started liking them.

           -2 cups channa dal (Bengal gram)
          -1/4 cup urad dal (optional)

          -1/4 cup rice flakes (pooha)/cooked rice

          -1/2 inch ginger

          -2 or 3 green chillies

          -1tsp coriander powder (dhania powder)

          -1/4 inch cinnamon (dhalchini)
          -2 cloves

          -4 curry leaves(opt)

          -10 mint leaves(opt)

          -2 roots coriander leaves(opt)

          -1 bundle spinach (palak)(opt)

          -1 medium size onion

          -   salt

          -1/4 tsp baking powder (or meetta soda)

         -oil (for deep fry)

-soak channa dal for 6hrs.

-now drain channa

-take pooha into a bowl

-take ginger and chilli pieces, dalchini, cloves, salt and channa in a mixee jar and graind it.We should not graind into fine paste. If necessary sprinkle some water while grinding. Remove it into the pooha bowl.

-now add finely chopped onion, mint, corriander leaves and spinach. Add dhania powder and baking powder and mix well.

-you can fry immediately or afterwards. (I prefer after ½ hr.)

-heat oil in a deep pan.                                                 

-make the batter into small balls

-keep a ball in the center of your left palm and press lightly with your right palm. Drop slowly into the oil. Fry on low flame. At a time you can fry 5 to 6 as per the size of your pan. Once they reach light brown colour increase the flame and fry till dark golden colour.

-remove from the oil and serve with tomato sauce or chutney or with onions.
-you can even sprinkle any type of karapoddi on it immediately after removing from oil. 
- for karapoddi have a look at my posts labeled karapoddi.

Tips:

          -don’t press vadas with fingers

          -vadas will be fat in center than in edges

          -the colour of vadas varies from light brown to dark brown for soft to                  crispy vadas