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Vadakari
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5 from 1 vote

Vadakari

Vadakari is a tasty, spicy curry made with lentil dumplings in a creamy sauce. Serve hot with pooris or parottas.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Curry
Cuisine: Indian, Tamil, Vegan
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 6
Calories: 307.98kcal

Ingredients

For the vadai:

For the curry:

Instructions

Make the vadai:

  • Soak the chana dal for 3 hours or if you don’t have the time do what I did and cheat– put the chana dal in a microwave-safe bowl, add enough water to top the dal by at least an inch, and zap for three minutes. Then drain.
  • Grind the chana dal with the rest of the ingredients. If the processor or blender blades refuse to turn because the mixture is too dry, add just a tiny bit of water, a tablespoon at a time. You want a coarse paste that clumps together, but it should not be too watery or you won’t be able to form your vadas.
  • Form 1-inch vadas by pulling off a piece of the dough, rolling it into a ball, and then flattening it between your palms. I got about 16 vadas.
  • Heat the oil in a wok or saucepan. Deep-fry the vadas until they are golden-brown. Don’t let them brown too quickly or they’ll stay raw inside. Drain onto a paper towel. Once the vadais are cool enough to handle, break them up into small pieces.

Make the curry/gravy:

  • Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the mustard seeds and asafoetida. When the seeds sputter, add the onions and curry leaves.
  • Saute until the onions start to turn transparent. Add the ginger and garlic and stir well, about a minute. Add the tomatoes.
  • Add the turmeric, chilli powder, and garam masala powder. Mix them in and saute the mixture until the tomatoes are all crushed into a paste and most of the liquid has evaporated.
  • Add a cup of water, bring it to a boil, then add the pieces of vadai. Once the vadai absorb most of the water, add coconut milk and salt to taste.
  • Stir well, bring the curry to a boil, and let it simmer another five minutes. Turn off the heat and add chopped coriander leaves.
  • Serve hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 307.98kcal | Carbohydrates: 28.97g | Protein: 6.8g | Fat: 19.67g | Saturated Fat: 15.36g | Potassium: 212.53mg | Fiber: 8.61g | Sugar: 2.38g | Vitamin A: 394.02IU | Vitamin C: 39.69mg | Calcium: 84.09mg | Iron: 3.1mg