Vadai

We hardly ever deep fry anything at home. I'm just plain scared of hot oil. Once in a way we call people over for breakfast and they make requests. Usually its for healthy food, but once in a while, we get requests for vadai. My attempts at making "healthy" vadai have failed terribly and I've just succumbed and decided to make some guests happy. So here was my first attempt at making vadais!


Vadai

1 cup Urad Dal
1 Green Chilli, finely chopped
1 Onion, finely chopped
4-5 Curry Leaves, finely chopped
1 pinch Asafetida
1/4 tsp Peppercorn
1/2 Cumin Seeds
Salt, as needed (about 1/4 tsp)
Oil, for deep frying

Soak urad dal for about 1/2 hour in lots of water. Drain very well and grind to a heavy smooth mixture.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Dip your hands in water to keep from sticking, and shape the dough into small balls (about the size of a lemon). Flatten each slightly and place each one on a plastic sheet (cling wrap works well). Make sure your hands are slightly damp and with your thumb, create a hole in the center (like a doughnut).


Meanwhile heat the oil in a fryer until hot (you can test the oil by dropping a tiny bit of the dough into it and notice that it sizzles and the dough turns brown). Transfer or slip each piece of doughnut into the oil and fry until golden brown and crisp. You could fry a few at a time, depending on the size of the pan. Serve with chutney or ketchup.

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