Swaadista

Dill masala vada, or sabsige masala vade, is a tasty and crispy snack that’s super popular in southern India. These little treats are made from chana dal (split chickpeas), chopped onions, fresh dill, and some spices that give them a nice kick without being too spicy. They’re often enjoyed as a side dish with rice bath or rice-dal, but they also make a fabulous evening snack, especially when paired with hot chai or tea.

While the traditional way to cook these vadas is by deep-frying, you can actually get that same delicious taste and crunch by shallow-frying them. This method uses way less oil, which is why it’s my go-to. If you’re curious about how to whip up some yummy, shallow-fried dill masala vadas, keep reading for the recipe that’ll walk you through the steps to make these crunchy delights!

Prep time: 3 hours
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 8 -10 masala vada

Ingredients:

200g channa dal/ split chickpea, soaked for 3 hours and drained
3 green chilies
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 inch of ginger root
2-3 cloves
1/4 inch cinnamon bark
5 tablespoons of dill, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
Cooking oil, for shallow frying
2-3 tablespoons of water
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Into a blender, add soaked and drained Chana dal, leaving behind 2 tablespoons of it. Add green chilies, garlic, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon. Blend it into a coarse paste by adding 2-3 tbsp of water.

2. Into a mixing bowl, add the coarsely ground paste, plus the 2 tbsp of chana dal previously kept apart, finely chopped onion, dill, and salt to taste. Combine everything to get a well-binding mixture.

3. Pour enough cooking oil to fill the bottom of a frying pan and heat it. Once hot enough, take a golf-sized roundel of the vada mixture, flatten it using your palm, gently place the flattened vada in oil, and shallow fry on low-medium heat on both sides until brown.

4. Carefully remove vadas from the pan and place them on a paper towel to drain out excess oil.
5. Enjoy hot dill masala vada as an evening snack or as a side dish with rice-dal.

Notes:

• Drain water completely from soaked Chana dal else the mixture will become soggy.
• If the mixture becomes soggy, add about 1 tbsp of rice flour and mix well.
• You can either blend green chilies or finely chop them and add them to the mixture while adding onions and dill.
• Add dill generously. More dill = More tastier the vada!
• You could store the vada mixture in the refrigerator and make fresh vada before consuming. Do not refrigerate vada, they will lose their crunchiness.