Keerai vadai is a masala vadai recipe which has crispy exterior and soft interior, made with lentils and spinach. Perfect snacks recipe to enjoy with your evening tea. Check out the recipe video to make the yummiest keerai vadai you have tasted ever!
Keerai Vadai – Easy Indian tea snacks
My evenings are incomplete without any snacks 😉 That too during weekends I will crave for some deep fried snacks. Vada/Vadai is a famous Indian snacks which are made using lentils as a main ingredient.
In southern part of India, Masala vadai and Medu vadai are quite popular. Masala vadai is made using chana dal and in some regions they add toor dal as well, where us Medu vadai is made using urad dal. Usually I make normal Masala vadai, but this time I made using spinach. I got a box full of organic baby spinach last week and totally forgot about using it. Finally used those baby spinach in making these crispy paruppu vadai.
What is vadai or vada?
Vadai is a savoury fried Indian snacks and it is also called as lentil fritters, vada, wada, vade, bara in various regions of India. The various types of vadas are made from different ingredients from lentils to potato. The taste definitely differs from each type of vada.
Main ingredients needed to make vadai
The main ingredient to make south Indian vadai is lentils or legumes. For legume based vadai, we need to soak the lentils/legumes first before grinding. Medu vada is made using urad dal and paruppu vadai are made using chana dal or thoor dal in some regions. The batter should be semi coarse consistency and then seasoned with other ingredients such as cumin, onions, curry leaves, chili, pepper and salt.
Perfect keerai vadai
Whether it’s a party or celebration or festival, vada is the best snack/appetizer to feed a huge crowd. Making “Keerai masala vada” is so simple since there is no any particular shaping involved. To get a perfect vada don’t add any extra water while grinding the dal for vada. The water presents in spinach itself enough to hold the shape of the Vada.
We usually relish the vada as it is or will have it with a cup of tea. Now the monsoon is perfect to enjoy these crispy vada’s. So, why are you waiting for? Make it and enjoy with your loved ones 🙂
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If you tried this recipe let me know how it turned. Take a picture and tag me @veg2nonveg_kitchen on Instagram with the hashtag #veg2nonvegkitchen. I would love to see your creation 🙂
Check the video below for “Keerai Masala Vada” recipe:
Check the print version of keerai vadai recipe below:
Keerai Masala Vadai | Easy Indian Snacks
Ingredients
- 1 cup chana dal
- 2 cups spinach chopped chopped
- 2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- salt
- 1 red chili
- ½ cup onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
- 1 green chili chopped
- 5-6 curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon ginger chopped
- Salt
- Oil for deep frying
- 1 cup water to soak dal
Instructions
- Wash and soak the chana dal for 3 hours in water.
- Meanwhile chop the onions, green chili, ginger, coriander leaves and curry leaves and keep it aside.
- After 3 hours, add 1 red chili and fennel seeds to the jar and grind it. Followed by adding the soaked chana dal and coarsely grind it without adding any water.
- Transfer the grinded dal to a bowl and add the chopped onions, ginger, green chili, coriander leaves and curry leaves. Mix it well and add salt as per your taste.
- Once you have mixed well, start shaping the Vada’s. Take a small portion of the dal and shape it to a ball and then flatten it a little (refer video)
- Heat a wok or kadai with some oil for deep frying. When the oil is heated add the vada gently into the oil and deep fry it.
- Flip it occasionally until you achieve golden brown color on both the sides.
- Transfer the vada's to a kitchen towel once done to remove the excess oil.
- Serve the Keerai Masal Vada with a cup of tea or coconut chutney.
Nutrition
NOTES:
- Don’t add water while grinding the dal at any cause. If you do so there is a chance of absorbing more oil while frying and also you will not able to shape the Vadai because of lots of moisture in it.
- Fresh spinach works best for the recipe, so avoid using frozen spinach.
- You can also add a tablespoon of toor dal for additional flavor but its purely optional.
- Adding garlic will also enhance the flavor of vadai if you like the flavor then add it while grinding the fennel seeds and red chili.
- The ingredients mentioned yields medium spicy vada. Change the measurement according to your spice level.
- If you forgot to soak the dal in advance , then soak them in hot water at least 1 hour before grinding.
This blog contains recipes from all cuisines from the scratch. You can find the detailed explanation and some recipes videos as well for easy understanding. 
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