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Keerai vadai
Greens and chana dal fritters
கீரை வடை: crunchy chana dal vadai packed with greens, shallots, ginger and curry leaves (plus 2 hours soaking)
Keerai vadai is the green-flecked cousin of the masala vadai sold from steel trays in Tamil tea stalls, and in Madurai and Coimbatore homes it turns up on rainy evenings with filter coffee or alongside rasam and rice. Coarsely ground chana dal gives a craggy, crunchy shell, while a big handful of chopped spinach or amaranth keeps the middle soft and a little sweet. The common mistake is grinding the dal to a smooth paste with water: the vadai then soak up oil and spread, so pulse it dry and leave some half-broken grains. Squeeze the washed greens hard in a cloth too, or their water loosens the dough. Chef's tip: add the salt only just before shaping, because salt pulls water out of the greens and makes the mix sloppy if it sits.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the vadai
- 7 oz chana dal (split Bengal gram)soaked 2 hours
- 2 ⅞ oz spinach or amaranth (mulai keerai) leaveswashed, squeezed dry and finely chopped
- 8 shallotsfinely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh gingerfinely chopped
- 2 green chilliesfinely chopped
- 2 dried red chilliesbroken
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 12 curry leavestorn
- 1 tsp salt
For frying
- 3 ¼ cups groundnut or sunflower oil
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Drain 7 oz chana dal (split Bengal gram) in a colander for 10 minutes and set 2 tablespoons aside whole.
10 minStep 2: Grind the rest of the dal with 2 dried red chillies and 1 tsp fennel seeds in short pulses with no water, scraping down, until coarse like wet sand with some broken grains still visible.
4 minStep 3: Tip into a bowl and mix in the whole dal, 2 ⅞ oz spinach or amaranth (mulai keerai) leaves, 8 shallots, 1 tbsp fresh ginger, 2 green chillies, 12 curry leaves and ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida (hing). Squeeze a handful: it should hold together without dripping.
5 minStep 4: Pour 3 ¼ cups groundnut or sunflower oil into a heavy kadai or deep pan, no more than a third of its depth, and heat over medium-high to 175–350°F. No thermometer? Drop in a small cube of bread: it should sizzle at once and turn golden in about 40 seconds. Keep a lid and a dry tray nearby and never leave the hot oil unattended.
8 minStep 5: Only now mix in 1 tsp salt. Wet your palms, take a lime-sized ball, press it flat to about 1 cm thick on your palm or a piece of wet banana leaf, and slide it into the oil. Fry 4–5 at a time.
2 minStep 6: Fry, turning once, until deep golden-brown and the loud bubbling quietens to a gentle fizz, about 4 minutes. That quieter sound means the water has cooked out and the vadai is crisp.
12 minStep 7: Lift onto kitchen paper and serve hot with coconut chutney or a mug of filter coffee.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does keerai vadai take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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