Indian
Vegan
Gluten freeVadouvan
Dried shallot and spice balls
வடுவம் (vadagam): Puducherry's sun-dried balls of shallot, garlic, mustard, cumin and curry leaves
Vadagam, called vadouvan in Puducherry's French-Tamil kitchens, is a seasoning made in the hot months: shallots and garlic are pounded with mustard seeds, cumin, fenugreek, curry leaves and castor or gingelly oil, rolled into balls and dried in the sun for days. A piece crumbled into hot oil at the start of a sambar, a kuzhambu, a poriyal or even buttered vegetables gives a deep, sweet, smoky onion flavour. This version finishes the drying in a low oven, which is safer and quicker in cooler kitchens. The common mistake is storing the balls before they are bone dry; any softness inside can turn mouldy, so break one open to check. Chef's tip: crush a ball and warm it in ghee, then toss with roast carrots for a very Pondicherry side dish.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 240 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 20
- Per serving
- 40 kcal
Ingredients
For the vadouvan
- 1 ⅛ lb Indian shallots (sambar onions)peeled
- 15 garlic clovespeeled
- 2 tbsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp urad dal (split black gram)
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 40 curry leavesfinely chopped
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp gingelly (sesame) oil
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Pulse 1 ⅛ lb Indian shallots (sambar onions) and 15 garlic cloves in a food processor to a coarse paste; do not purée. Tip into a bowl, mix in 2 tsp salt and leave 30 minutes, then squeeze out the liquid through a cloth.
35 minStep 2: Stir in 2 tbsp black mustard seeds, 1 tbsp cumin seeds, 1 tbsp urad dal (split black gram), 1 tsp fenugreek seeds, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 40 curry leaves and 3 tbsp gingelly (sesame) oil and mix well with your hands.
3 minStep 3: Shape into walnut-sized balls, pressing firmly, and set them on a parchment-lined tray.
15 minStep 4: Dry in full sun for 4–5 days, bringing them in at night, or in an oven at 158°F (fan off, door ajar) for about 4 hours, turning every hour.
240 minStep 5: Check one ball: break it open; it must be completely dry and crumbly right through, with no damp centre. Dry longer if needed.
2 minStep 6: Cool and store in an airtight jar in a cool place for up to 6 months; throw away any ball that shows mould or smells musty. Fry a crushed ball in hot oil until dark brown to start a curry.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 40 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vadouvan take?
- About 280 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 240 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of indian shallots (sambar onions)?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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