Yogurt Vadai / Thair Vadai

I've had my eye on this cookbook for a while now. 'Dakshin' by Chandra Padmanabhan. I finally found it online and bought it in a heartbeat. The UPS guy brought it yesterday evening (I checked the door several times during the day wishing he would hurry it up :) and here I am with one of my most favorite recipes from the book I made this morning. I went through almost the entire book and have bookmarked several fabulous dishes which... you guessed it... you will see me posting soon.

It also is my effort to venture into the vast and tasty world of South Indian cuisine. I do make a few south Indian dishes but I wanted to learn it the methodically through an authentic source. So friends here it is exactly recreated from the book and watch out for several more.

Ingredients: makes 12-15

Urad Daal ............................. 1 cup picked over and rinsed
Water .................................. 2 cups
Green chillies ........................ 6-8
Fresh grated coconut ............... 3 tbsp
Cumin seeds .......................... 1 tsp
Plain yogurt .......................... 4 cups well beaten
Cilantro leaves ...................... for garnishing
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

For tempering:
Oil .................................... 2 tsp
Mustard seeds ...................... 1 tsp
Cumin seeds ........................ 1 tsp
Dry whole red chilli ............... 1 broken
Urad daal ...........................  1 tsp
Asafoetida .......................... 2 pinches
Curry leaves ........................ 1 spring

Method:


1. Soak urad daal in two cups of water for 2-3 hours. Drain off the water completely. Blend it with 4 green chillies and salt to taste to a thick smooth batter, using very little water about 1-2 tsp. Set aside.
2. Now blend the coconut, remaining green chillies and cumin to a fine paste. Add this to the the yogurt, mix and add salt to taste.
3. Heat 2 tsp of oil for tempering add all the tempering ingredients one by one, and cook till the mustard seeds splutter, add this to the yogurt mixture and keep aside (I kept this in the fridge).
4. To make the vadas, heat oil in deep frying pan or kadahi on medium heat. Take a laddleful of batter and place it on the palm of one hand. Wet your other hand with water and flatten the batter with this hand. Make a hole in the center. The vada will be shaped like a small doughnut. Slide it gently in the oil.
5. Deep fry until golden brown and crisp on both sides. Drain the vadais on paper towel. Continue the process until all the batter is used.
6. Arrange vadais in a serving bowl. Pour yogurt mixture over the top. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve . ENJOY!

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