Keerai Vadai using Urad Dhal / Spinach Vada

                  Vadai is a famous snack of South India. In each and every hotel menu card, or starting from roadside shops to five star hotel a seperate space will be given for these vadai/ vadas. In TamilNadu you can see the vada of different types being made in tea stalls, almost from morning to evening. Many people will relish the tea with vada, and some even beat their hunger with these vadas accompanied with tea/ coffee.

                Coming to keerai vadai, is a yummy, healthy evening snack (as it has the benefits of both keerai(greens) and urad dhal). It can be made using urad dhal and channa dhal also. I would prefer to make the urad dhal version always, as it softer than the channa dhal version. We can make these vadas using the different types of keerai(greens) available.

Prep time 2 hours ( For soaking the urad dhal)

Cooking time 20-25 mins

Ingredients 

1 cup Urad Dhal ( whole without skin)
1 cup Keerai/ Amarnath Greens

8-10 nos Small Onion ( if big onion-1)

2 nos Green chilly

1 inch sized Ginger

1 spring curry leaves

2 pinch hing

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp pepper crushed (optional)

as per taste Salt

as needed Water

as needed Oil ( For Frying)

Procedure

For Grinding the Batter

• Soak the urad dhal for 2 hours.
• Grinding can be done either in mixer grinder or wet grinder. But using wet grinder will yeild to better results.
• After transferring to the grinder donot add more water, just sprinkle the water in intervals for the dough should not get struck in between.
• The consistency of the batter should be like the butter consistency, so that you will get the perfect vadas
• For checking if the batter has grinded properly, just dip your fingers in water and then to the grinded batter. The batter should not stick to your fingers. Hence the check done.

For Making Vadas

            The batter is ready now. Now chop the keerai(greens), onion, green chilies, ginger and curry leaves. Add the crushed jeera and crushed pepper and salt. 

           
            Mix the batter well so that all the ingredients are uniformly mixed.

            Heat the oil in the kadai. In your left hand take a polythene cover grease it with oil. Dip you right hand in wtaer and take some batter so that the batter will not stick to your hands. Put the batter to the polythene sheet and pat it to get a round shape using your right hand. And put a hole in the center of the batter. 

           Again dip your right hand in water and transfer the patted batter into the kadai. Keep the stove in medium flame. Turn the vada both sides so that it gets firm. Wait till you get the golden brown. Then your vada is ready.