Vada - a thin, crispy, savoury South African Indian doughnut made with ground yellow split peas, spring onions, dhania, jeera, chilli, and banana.
My Mum's Mum, Ma, would make this every Diwali for my dad. She always said she didn't have much to give, but she wanted to do this for her son [in law]. Not having a grinding stone anymore, Ma would timidly use a food processor to grind the soaked dhall until it was the perfect texture. She added her seasonings and always a banana to help bind the mixture. She fried it in the afternoon, and alongside samoosas, we devoured Ma's vada with a cup of hot tea.
Ingredients
400g pea dhall
3 Large Onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup Spring Onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
3 Green chillies, finely chopped
2 tsp Fennel Seeds
2 tsp Cumin Seeds
2 tsp Coriander Seeds
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 cup Cake Flour
2 tsp Salt
1 Banana, mashed
Vegetable Oil, for frying
Method
Preparing the Vada dough
In a large bowl, add the pea dhall and cover with cold water. Allow the dhall to soak overnight.
The following day, thoroughly wash the dhall and drain water through a colander.
Using a food processor, grind the dhall to a fine paste. The ground dhall should be dry but still compact.
Place finely chopped onions in a muslin cloth or tea towel. Gather the corners of the cloth and squeeze, removing excess liquid from the onions.
Add the onions, spring onions, coriander leaves and green chillies to the dhall and mix.
Add the cumin, fennel, and coriander seeds in a dry pan and toast until lightly browned and fragrant. Then grind the whole spices until they are coarse in texture. Add the spice blend to the dhall mixture.
Lastly, add the salt, baking powder, cake flour, and mashed banana to the dhall mixture and mix well. Feel the consistency of the dough. If it is too wet, add a little more flour.
Frying the Vada
Heat a medium pot filled with 3cm of vegetable oil
Take a tablespoon of the dough, and form a little pattie on the palm of your hand, 5-7mm thick. Take your pinkie finger of the opposite hand and make a hole in the centre of the vada.
When the oil has reached 160°C, stretch out your palm, holding the pattie towards the oil, and it will fall into the oil. Fry the vada for 8-10 minutes until it is brown and crisp.
Drain oil well and leave to drain completely on a wire cooling rack sitting on a baking tray.
Serve hot or cold
Comentários