By Nandini Bhushan
Street food in India is a vibrant and integral part of culinary culture, offering diverse flavours, textures and aromas. The rich journey of Indian street food varies widely from region to region, reflecting the country’s diverse culinary tradition. From east to west and north to south, every corner offers its own unique street food made with locally available ingredients. Cheap and easily available, these street foods are consumed by millions.
Also try: Indian Street Food Recipes: Indori Poha
Chana Dal Vada
Chana Dal Vada or lentil vada is a popular street food from southern India. Made with chana dal, the masala vada is an all-time snack with a crunchy exterior and burst of flavours.
Ingredients
(Serving for 3 to 4 persons)
Chana dal: 1 cup
Onion: 1 finely chopped
Green chilli: 3 finely chopped
Ginger: 1 inch grated
Curry leaves: 10 to 12 chopped
Cumin seed: 1 tsp
Fennel seed: 1 tsp
Coriander leaves: a handful
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying
Step 1
Wash the chana dal thoroughly and soak it in enough water for about three to four hours. After soaking, drain the water completely.
Step 2
Grind the dal coarsely without adding water to it. The mixture should be slightly coarse for a crunchy texture.
Step 3
Transfer the ground chana dal to a mixing bowl. Add finely chopped onion, green chilli, grated ginger, chopped coriander- curry leaves, and salt.
Step 4
Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully drop the shaped vadas in the oil.
Step 5
Fry them in batches until they turn golden brown and crispy. Drain them out on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Serve the vada hot with coconut chutney.
