Beetroot Masala Vada | Chettinad Beetroot Lentil Fritters

      Beetroot Masala Vada | Chettinad Beetroot Lentil Fritters

    An iconic deep fried snack from the popular tamil cuisine made with beetroot grate and soaked lentil. the recipe is heavily practised in the southern state of tamilnadu, particularly in chettinad, but widely known in other states too. the texture and taste are very similar to the lentil made masala vada, but has all the goodness of beetroot into this vada as an additional taste factor.

   Lentil-based vada or vadai is a common deep fried snack from all the south indian states. it can be made with different kinds of lentils which have its own taste and texture to the vada. but it can also be made with different kind of vegetable grate as an additional flavour agent. one such vegetable-based vadai recipe is beetroot vadai recipe from tamil cuisine.

   This recipe of beetroot vadai recipe is very unique compared to the others. it offers a combination of sweetness from the beetroot, savoury from the vada masala and also tenderness from beetroot grate. well, some may argue that vadai recipes should be crisp and brittle and avoid the tenderness.

Tips, suggestions and variations: 

 Firstly, as the traditional vadai recipe, the lentil has to be soaked for a minimum of 2-3 hours. otherwise, you may not be able to ground it coarsely. also, do not add any water while grounding.

 Secondly, with the addition of beetroot, you can also add other veggies like corn, carrot and also shallots. perhaps you can limit to beetroot if you wish to get just beetroot taste in your vadai recipe. lastly, you need to deep fry these in a low to medium flame so that the vada gets cooked evenly. in addition to it, deep fry these in small batches and do not overcrowd the vada’s.

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup chana dal

½ cup toor dal

2 dried red chilli

water, for soaking

1 cup beetroot, grated

½ onion, finely chopped

3 tbsp coriander, finely chopped

2 chilli, finely chopped

½ tsp ginger paste

few curry leaves, chopped

1 tsp cumin / jeera

pinch hing / asafoetida

¾ tsp salt

2 tbsp rice flour

oil, for frying

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.Firstly, in a large bowl take ½ cup chana dal, ½ cup toor dal and 2 dried red chilli.

2.Add enough water and soak for 2 hours.

3.Drain off the dal making sure the water is drained completely.

4.Now transfer the drained dal to the mixi and blend to a coarse paste. pulse and blend to have a coarse texture.add 1 cup beetroot, ½ onion, 3 tbsp coriander, 2 chilli, ½ tsp ginger paste, few curry leaves, 1 tsp cumin, pinch hing and ¾ tsp salt.

5.Squeeze and mix well until the dal is well combined with everything.

6.Make a soft dough adding 2 tbsp of rice flour if the mixture is watery.

7.Grease hands with oil and prepare small balls, flatten the vada.and deep fry in hot oil. or preheat and bake at 180 degree celcius for 25 minutes or until it turns golden and crisp.

8.Also, stir occasionally till until the dal vada turns golden and crisp.

9.Finally, serve beetroot vadai hot along with masala chai.

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