Tea Kadai Masal Vadai: A Crunchy and Healthy Snack

My name is Lakshmi, and I am a homemaker. I love cooking and experimenting with different recipes, especially those from my native India.

Masal vadai is a tasty snack that is commonly sold in the roadside tea shops of South India. Made with coarsely ground chana dal, spices, and onions, this snack has a heavenly flavor and perfectly complements tea.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 250 grams chana dal, soaked in water for 3 hours
• 2 green chilies
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 inch ginger
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• Handful of curry leaves
• Ground nut oil or any cooking oil, for frying

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Instructions

1. Soak the chana dal in water for 3 hours, then drain the water and set aside.
2. In a mixer jar, add the cinnamon, fennel seeds, green chilies, garlic, and ginger. Grind coarsely. In the same jar, add the chana dal and grind it to form a coarse batter. Only pulse a few times; do not grind to a paste. Do not add water. The batter should have a coarse texture.
3. Add onions, salt, and curry leaves into the batter and blend well. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan.
4. Take a small ball of batter and flatten it in your palm and drop into the oil gently. Then fry it till both sides of the vadai become golden brown Similarly, make vadai using the remaining batter.

Photo Guide

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Another popular tea time snack

• Crispy Onion Pakoda From Tamil Nadu: A Teatime Snack
  Crispy onion pakoda from south India is another popular snack to have with tea, especially on rainy days.

Comments

Lakshmi (author) from Chennai on October 17, 2020:

Hi Liz Westwood, thank you for your comment and yes,it will be very tasty.

Liz Westwood from UK on October 17, 2020:

This looks like an interesting and tasty snack. The photo tutorial is very helpful.

Lakshmi (author) from Chennai on October 16, 2020:

Thank you Kalpana Iyer for your interest in this recipe, you are welcome.

Lakshmi (author) from Chennai on October 16, 2020:

Thank you Prithviraj Shirole for your comment,you are welcome .

Kalpana Iyer from India on October 16, 2020:

I love masala vadai! Nothing like good masala vadai with chai when it is raining. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

Prithviraj Shirole from India on October 16, 2020:

I love Masal vadai a lot. Thanks for the lovely recipe.

Lakshmi (author) from Chennai on October 16, 2020:

Hi Liza, You are welcome.

Liza from USA on October 16, 2020:

Growing up in Malaysia, vadai is one of my favorite Indian snacks. My mother used to make this all the time. I like the spices used in the recipe, and yes, it is a healthy snack. Thanks for sharing the recipe. The vadai looks delicious!