Indian street food recipes: Paruppu Vadai

Indian street food recipes: Paruppu Vadai

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 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: Fafda

Paruppu Vadai

Here’s a traditional South Indian Paruppu Vadai (Dal Vada) recipe. The crispy and flavourful lentil fritters are a popular street snack perfect for teatime or festivals.

Ingredients 

(Serving for 3 to 4 persons)

Chana dal: 1 cup

Dry red chilli: 2

Fennel seed: 1 tsp

Ginger : ½ inch chopped 

Green chilli: 2 to 3 chopped 

Onion: 1 finely chopped 

Coriander leaves: 2 tsp chopped 

Curry leaves: 6 to 8 thinly sliced 

Salt to taste 

Oil for the deep frying pan 

Step 1

Wash and soak the chana dal in water for about three to four hours. Drain well and keep a few tsp of soaked chana dal for crunch.

Step 2

In a blender, add the remaining drained dal, red chilli, fennel seeds and ginger. Grind coarsely without adding water. The mixture should be thick and not smooth.

Step 3

Transfer the ground mix to a bowl. Add chopped onion, green chilli, curry leaves, the reserved whole dal and salt. Mix everything well.

Step 4

Take a small portion of the mixture and flatten it slightly on your palm.

Step 5

Heat oil in a deep frying pan on medium heat. Slide the Vada gently and fry until golden brown and crispy. Serve hot with coconut chutney along with a hot cup of coffee or tea.