Vada Curry / Pakoda Kurma

Made out of leftover paruppu vadas, it is a flavourful side dish, a perfect combination for idlis/dosas or idiyappams.

• 

Ingredients:

To make Pakodas:

Bengal Gram Dal – 1 cup

Green chillies -2

Garlic cloves – 3

Ginger -1 inch piece

Fennel seeds or Saunf – 1/2 tsp

To Make Vada Curry:

Oil – 2 tbsp

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Pudina /Mint leaves – 1 sprig (optional)

Green chillies – 3

Ginger and garlic paste – 2 tsp (

Fennel seeds or Saunf – 1 tsp

Onions chopped – 2

Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Water – 1 1/2 cups

For Green Chillie paste

Heat oil. Add green chillies and saute it well. Then add ginger and garlic to it and saute well. Grind all together and keep it aside.

For Coconut paste:

Coconut – 2 tbsp

Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp

Water – 1/2 cup

Seasonings:

Oil – 1 tbsp

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Cardamom – 1

Fennel seeds – 1/4 tsp

Cinnamon stick – 1 small

Star anise – 1

Preparation:

1. Soak chana dal or bengal gram dal for one or two hours. Drained the water and keep it aside.
2. In a blender, grind dry fennel seeds, green chillies, garlic, ginger. Pulse for a few seconds.
3. To the same blender, add soaked channa dal.
4. Grind it coarsely and do not make it into a smooth paste.
5. Add salt to the mixture and shape them into a small vadas or any shapes and deep fry them.
6. Heat oil in a deep kadhai and fry them for 3 to 5 mins in medium flame.
7. Fry the vada’s to a nice golden brown and keep aside.
8. Heat up some oil in saute pan, add a sprig of curry leaves, fennel seeds, cinnamon and cardamom.
9. Add chopped onions, salt and saute for 2 to 3 mins.
10. Add ginger and garlic paste and saute until the raw smell disappears.
11. Add chopped tomatoes and chopped pudina and saute for 2 to 3 mins.
12. Then add the green chillie, garlic and ginger paste.
13. Add the chillie powder and turmeric powder saute for 2 mins until the raw smell disappears.
14. Add 1.5 to 2 cups of water
15. Cover and cook for 5mins. Bring to boil
16. In a blender, add coconut and fennels seeds
17. Add 1/2 cup of water and grind to a smooth paste
18. In goes the coconut mixture, stir and cook for 2 mins.
19. Now crumble the vada’s into 2 to 3 pieces.
20. Add the crumbled vada’s to the curry
21. Now cook for 5 minutes until the gravy thickens.
22. Adjust salt accordingly.
23. Sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves and serve