Medu Vada and saambaar
Ingredients
Serves 2 to 4 people For Medu Vadas: 2 cups green gram, split (udad dal), 1 teaspoon salt For Saambaar: 1 cup red gram dal (toor dal), any of the following vegetables : onions, chopped into thin slices 2 small tomatoes or tamarind 2 tsp, eggplants, bottlegourd, drumsticks, 5-6 curry leaves, chopped coriander leaves, 4 teaspoon saambaar powder, 2-3 teaspoon chili powder.
Method 1. Wash and soak udad dal in plenty of water. Keep aside for 5-6 hours or overnight. 2. Grind dal into a fine paste. To make the grinding easier, add a very little amount of water. 3. Add salt and beat the batter with a spoon or a wire whisk. 4. Heat enough oil in a deep frying pan. Put some batter in the Vada maker and drop round vadas directly into the hot oil. If vada maker is not available, dip your palm into water. Take some batter and flatten it on the palm, make small hole at the center of the flattened ball. Drop this ball slowly into the hot oil. Likewise, fry all the vadas till crisp and golden brown. 5. Wash and Boil dal in a pressure cooker unti; soft. Mash it while still hot. 6. Chop all the vegetables. In a pan heat oil, add mustard seeds. When they sizzle, add curry leaves, turmeric powder and then onions. When onions turn translucent, add chopped tomatoes and fry for some time. 7. Add chopped vegetables, cover the pan and cook till all the vegetables are half done. 8. Add dal, water for desired consistency and stir. When it starts boiling, add saambar powder, salt,chili powder and stir well. Simmer for 10 minutes. 9. Remove from the heat. Garnish with coriander leaves. 10. While serving, arrange vadas in a plate and pour hot saambaar over them. Serve coconut chutney as an accompaniment. Tips: For variation, add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, black peppercorns, curry leaves or coconut pieces in the batter of vadas. Vadas taste good with any chutney and without saambaar also.