Vadai Curry

Vadai curry is served as a side dish with Idlis or dosas in restaurants across South India. The understanding is that the curry is made of left over or previous days vadas. But in my recipe I am going to use freshly prepare the vadas. Vadas are nothing but deep fried lenthil dumplings.

• Ready In: 11 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

• 2  cups  bengal gram dal
• 2  tablespoons onions, chopped
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 2  cups onions, chopped
• 1  cup fresh tomato, chopped
• 2  cloves
• 1  cinnamon stick
• 1  bay leaf
• 1  teaspoon anise seed
• 2  teaspoons red chili powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1  teaspoon garam masala
• 2  teaspoons salt
• 3  garlic cloves
• 2  teaspoons onions, chopped
• 1  tablespoon chutney, gram
• 1  green chili
• 2  red chilies
• 1  tablespoon coconut, grated
• 2  tablespoons  coriander, chopped
• 3  golden fried cashews

Directions

1. Soak the bengalgram in water for 1 hour. Drain the water and grind to a coarse paste.
2. Mix in salt and the2tbsp chopped onions.
3. Make small dumplings of this mixture and deep fry in hot oil till golden brown. Remove and keep aside to drain.
4. To prepare the gravy - Make a smooth paste by grinding by grinding all the ingredients from aniseed till coconut by using very little water.
5. Heat oil in a pan, add the cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and aniseed.
6. Fry till a nice aroma comes and then mix in the chopped onions and keep sautéing till it turns brown. Now add the chopped tomatoes.
7. Keep stirring and once the tomatoes have become mushy and the oil floats on top, mix in red chili powder, turmeric and garam masala. Fry for a minute then add the paste fry little oil floats on top--it takes 4-5 minutes of frying.
8. Now add 3 cups of water,keep on stove till the gravy starts to come to a boil. Now add the deep fried dumplings and the salt. Let it cook for some time till the dumplings soak up some of the gravy.
9. Now is the time to adjust the salt and the consistency of the gravy.
10. Serve this hot vadai curry garnished with chopped coriander and golden fried cashews with steaming hot idlis.