Chana Dal Vada are a delicious South Indian snack made with split chickpeas, fresh green chillies and onions. They're a popular street food and are usually served with Indian masala tea or coffee. With my techniques, you'll get vada which are crispy outside and fluffy inside.
Note – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content. First published in 9 February 2010, the recipe is slightly changed now and made with few eaxtra ingredients.
I've got a soft spot for vada in all varieties! One of my favourites is Gujarati dal vada but these South Indian chana dal vada closely follow!
Soaked chana dal is ground to a coarse paste with whole spices, fresh aromatics and herbs. The vada are then shaped and deep-fried until golden and crispy. I love that the inside remains fluffy and packed with flavour!
Ingredients notes
Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.
Chana Dal - I soak the chana dal for a few hours before using in the recipe. This makes the dal easier to grind.
Onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic - fresh is best and gives fresh flavour to the vada. I often have to adjust the amount of chillies I add based on how spicy they are.
Whole spices - cinnamon, black pepper corns, fennel seeds and dried red chillies
Curry leaves - a classic in South Indian cooking.
Coriander - fresh coriander leaves add "freshness"!
Oil - my go-to oil for frying is sunflower oil. I find it gives a really crispy outside and doesn't impart it's own flavour.
Step by Step Method
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Chana Dal Vada
Ingredients
- 1 cup chana dal
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 tablespoon green chillies chopped
- 2 tablespoon curry leaves chopped
- 2 tablespoon coriander leaves or mint chopped
- 2 tablespoon ginger chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic chopped
- 2-3 cloves
- ½ inch cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 dry red chillies broken
- salt
- oil to fry
Instructions
- Rinse 1 cup chana dal under running water then soak in plenty of water for at least 2 hours.
- Place 2 tablespoon ginger, 1 tablespoon garlic, 2-3 cloves, ½ inch cinnamon, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds and 2 dry red chillies in a grinder and grind to a coarse powder.
- Drain all the water from the soaked dal, (keep 2-3 tablespoons dal for later use). Then add to the ground spices and grind everything until you get a coarse paste. Do not add any water.
- Transfer the ground paste into another bowl, add chopped 1 medium onion, 2 tablespoon green chillies , 2 tablespoon curry leaves, 2 tablespoon coriander leaves or mint and salt . Combine everything with your hands to make the vada batter.
- Take 3 tablespoons of the vada mixture in your hand and make round ball. Gently flatten on your palm. The vada should not be too thick or not too thin. Place them on a flat surface.
- Heat oil in a kadai or frying pan on medium heat, then carefully add a few vada in the hot oil, and fry them on medium to low heat.
- Keep turning them using a slotted spoon, so the vada evenly fry all over.
- Repeat the procedure for the remaining vada and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
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Sheetal Kiran says
Yeah, frozen stuff really helps, doesn't it? Love the idea of chillies ... would add such a flavorful twist to the koftas!
jcookingodyssey says
Thanks guys
priya says
innovative and inviting, dear..looks yummy!
Hiperica di Lady Boheme says
I love this recipe,is really excellent! Thanks for the visit. Kiss
Malar says
koftas are looking so good..
Ganga Sreekanth says
great idea........looks delicious
Vineetha Sush says
Thank you so much for visiting my blog and following me..
I too used to wait for comments when I started and used to get lil upset when nobody commented..Even now I feel so happy when I see a new comment.
Koftas looks so yummy.will be following u toooooooo
Priya Suresh says
My all time favourite, i do similar too...koftas goes perfect for evening snacks na..
Prefect entry..
Cicily Antony says
Yummy koftas...need some tea now...
Tina says
Looks yummy and crispy....
Sushma Mallya says
looks crispy and nice..
Perspectivemedley says
heey lovely recipe!!.. nice one:).. yummy! sounds totally tempting.. can't wait until I try it out:).. thank you:)
PJ says
oh wow, the chickpea koftas look delicious! great you participated in this event, that way I got to see this delicious recipe... and reminds me to submit an entry too 🙂
Jeyashris Kitchen says
wow they look nice.Never heaed of vada with chicpeas.will try sometime
Desisoccermom says
Thank you for the delicious entry Jagruti. I have never seen this version before. Looks yummy. 🙂