Vada Sambar - A Spicy Indian Staple Breakfast

Vada Sambar - A Spicy Indian Staple Breakfast

It's about a month since mom left  and yes I miss her, no matter how long I have lived away from home that bond between mom and daughter is always special. All the while mom was here she treated us to all her special recipes, my job was simple eat and take pictures. This time on I made extra effort to not let her in the kitchen yet she always managed to get in the kitchen and cook.

Like any typical American family our breakfast at home during weekdays consists of cereal, toast, eggs with parents in town we were treated to typical Indian breakfast, a true luxury I say one such dish that warms your soul and satisfies all your spicy cravings in Vada Samabar a staple south Indian breakfast. I cannot remember the time I ever made this on my own. After a serious fiasco of oil spilling all over my hand I completely gave up deep frying so when mom made these it was hard to resist.

Sambar recipe can be found from my previous posts here 

Ingredients for Vada
1 cup Urad dal
3-4 green chilies
2 tbsp rice flour
pinch of baking soda (optional)
inch of ginger
salt according to taste
3 cups of oil for deep frying.


Process
1. Let urad dal soak in water for about 2-3 hours.
2. Grind Urad dal with salt,green chilies ,ginger and rice flour into a fine paste without adding water, if it gets too hard to grind just add enough water to make the dough a bit wet.
3. Take care and make sure all the ingredients are well incorporated, this is very critical in order to avoid oil spluttering.
4. remove batter from the  grinder and use hand whip and aerate the dough, this makes the Vada's soft.
5. Heat oil in a pan and when oil gets hot, take a small portion of the dough and flatten into on your palm and make a hole in the middle, this is an art that you can master with time, don't worry if you cant get this shape, just flatten the dough and slip into the hot oil.
6. Fry vada's on both sides till its well cooked for about 3-4 minutes and remove from heat and place on tissue paper to allow all the excess oil to drain out.

7.Dunk the hot Vada's in sambhar and serve piping hot.

Sambar vada is one such delicious combination that its hard to resist, its a indulgence well worth.

PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN WORKING WITH HOT OIL, PLEASE KEEP SMALL KIDS AWAY AND BE SAFE.