Vadai are a category of tasty fried lentil-based snacks originating in India. There are different types of vadai, which can be described as pancakes, cutlets or doughnuts, depending on the case. They are usually eaten alone or accompanied by a chutney sauce. The ingredients that make up the different types of vadai are varied, from lentils to potatoes. Most often they are served for breakfast or as snacks, but also used to prepare other dishes.
Ingredients for 4 portions
- Yellow broken chickpeas (chana dal) 225 g
- Cauliflower florets, chopped 250 g
- Ginger and garlic paste 10 g
- Cumin powder 5 g
- Green chilies, sliced 30 g
- Coriander leaves, chopped 5 g
- Red onions, chopped 100 g
- Toasted almonds, chopped 80 g
- Halls q.b.
- Red chili powder 5 g
- Garam masala 2,5 g
- Rice flour 30 g
- Chickpea/besan flour (gram flour) 30 g
- Sunflower oil 60 g
Preparation
Soak the chana dal and green chilies for at least 4 hours. This operation will allow you to easily grind the chiles. Drain all the water.
Coarsely grind the ingredients in a blender. Without adding water, transfer them to a bowl.
Combine the chopped cauliflower with the ground mixture. Add salt, red chili powder, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala, roasted almonds, onions, and coriander leaves. Mix thoroughly.
Add rice flour and gram flour. Stir until the mixture is well blended.
Heat oil in a frying pan.
In the meantime, prepare the vadai: use the mixture to form lemon-sized balls, then flatten them into round disks.
Fry them on both sides until they have turned a nice golden color. Then transfer them to a sheet of paper towels.
Repeat until all the mixture is used up.
To limit our impact on the environment, we advise you to remain within 1 kg CO2-equivalent per meal, including all the courses you eat. Bear in mind that plant-based dishes are more likely to have a low environmental impact.
Even though some of our suggestions exceed the recommended 1 kg CO2-equivalent per meal, that doesn't mean you should never make them; it's the overall balance that counts. Regularly eating a healthy and eco-friendly diet in the long term offsets even the dishes with the most impact, as long as you don't make them too often.