VADACURRY

INGREDIENTS:

TO MAKE VADA:

Channa dal - 1 cup
Onion - 2 nos.
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp.
Red chilli - 4
A small piece of ginger
A sprig of curry leaves
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

 TO MAKE CURRY:

Onion - 3
Tomatoes - 3
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp.
Cloves - 4 nos.
Cinnamon stick - 1 small piece
Cashewnuts - 8 - 10 nos.
Green peas - 1/2 cup
A pinch of Turmeric powder
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Finely chopped Ginger - 1 tsp.
Finely chopped Garlic - 8 -10
Green chillies - 2
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp.
Coriander Powder - 2 tbsp.
Milk extracted from coconut - 1/2 cup (optional)
Coriander leaves for garnishing
Few Mint leaves
A sprig of curry leaves
Oil as required
salt to taste

PREPARATION METHOD:

Soak the Channa dal in water for 1 hour and then grind coarsely along with red chillies,fennel seeds and salt. Sprinkle water if required.

Add little amount of finely chopped onions, curry leaves to the above mixture and then prepare small vadas or you can also make small balls just like bondas and fry it in oil till you get a light brown colour. Always cook in medium flame if you use a high flame the vadas will become crisp outside but it would not have been cooked inside.

Heat oil in a kadai, fry the fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamom sticks, cashewsnuts. Add the chopped onions, ginger, garlic and  curry leaves and Saute this till the onions become light brown in colour.
Next add the chopped tomatoes, green chillies and saute well till it becomes juicy.
 Add the green peas and mint leaves. Saute well.
Now add all the masala powders one by one with the required amount of salt. Add 1 cup of water
and cook in a medium flame for 10 minutes. Close the kadai with a lid so that the vadacurry is cooked quickly.
 Now add the crushed vadas to the curry and stir well so that everything gets blended well.
 At this stage add the coconut milk and allow this to boil for 3 minutes in low flame.

Garnish this with coriander leaves and seve hot with idly and dosas.