Vadacurry is a famous South Indian gravy/curry served along with Idlies and dosa's. In most of the South Indian restaurants, you can see an item "set dosa-vadacurry" as a standard menu in their menu card. As the name suggests, vadacurry is a curry made with vadai's. At an outset, this dish looks very elaborate to prepare as it requires vadai's to be made first and then the gravy to be prepared on it, that is the reason it is often not cooked at home. But, if we don't mind the little extra time taken for its preparation, this is sure a very palatable side-dish for your idlies and dosas, and a good variation from the usual sambar's & chutney's.
Conventionally, for preparing the vadacurry, you prepare normal masala vadai & fry it in oil and once the fried vadai's are ready, we break them to pieces and the prepare the gravy to soak the vadai's. Because of the frying part, this recipe calls for more oil usage. Also with extra oil in the recipe, you start feeling too full very soon.
If you want to health-consciously prepare this vadacurry in less oil, you have an alternative. Instead of deep frying the vadai's in oil, steam them in cooker and use the steamed vadai's for the gravy. This way, you don't need too much oil. This method of vadacurry preparation was taught to me by my aunt, Mrs. Geetha and the outcome is not only tasty but healthy too !!! I have cooked vadacurry in this method to happily indulge in a tasty curry with less guilt and more appetite !!!
Ingredients:
Big Onion - 2, chopped to medium size
Medium Tomato - 2, Chopped finely
Channa Dhal - 1 1/2 cups
Green chillies - 6, slit into 4 pieces each
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Salt - 2 tsp
Oil - 6 to 8 tsp
Coriander leaves - 3 tsp, chopped finely
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Seasoning Ingredients: Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp, Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Pre-requisite:
1. Soak channa dhal in warm water for 2 to 3 hours. Drain all the water and keep ready.
2. Grind coconut adding little water to a medium paste.
How to prepare vadai :
1. To grind coarsely without adding water or with very minimal water :- water strained channa dhal - 1 1/2 cups, fennel seeds - 1 tsp, salt - 1/4 tsp
2. Take the coarsely ground mixture and pat them into mini vadai's and place them in the mini idly plate or any other plate and steam in pressure cooker for 7 minutes, as we do for idlies.
3. Once cooked, remove and cool and break these vadai's by hand and keep the broken/mashed vadai's ready for cooking.
Method:
1. In a non-stick pan/kadai, add oil and when it becomes hot, add the seasoning ingredients and fry until fennel seeds turns aromatic and the cumin seeds turns brown.
2. Add the chopped onion and fry until onion turns light brown.
3. Add ginger-garlic paste and slit green chillies and mix well and fry until the rawness in the green chillies goes and ginger-garlic emanates nice aroma.
4. Add the chopped tomato and mix very well and cook until it turns mushy.
5. Add the ground coconut paste and mix well. Now add a cup of water and let all contents boil well.
6. Add the mashed vadai's and mix well. Cook covered for 5 minute on low flame, for the flavors of the masala's to get mixed into the vadai's.
7. Open and add chopped coriander leaves and mix well and then remove.
Tips:
1. While seasoning at beginning, you can also add other spices like bay leaves - 2 leaves, cloves - 3, cinnamon stick - 2, cardamom - 2 for added spice and flavor.
2. Optionally, you can also add chopped garlic & ginger and saute well immediately after seasoning, for additional flavor.
3. You can avoid coconut paste too if you wish. This is for extra taste.
4. Alternatively, you can go with the conventional method of frying the vadai's instead of steaming it and then proceed to make the vadacurry as above.
Conventionally, for preparing the vadacurry, you prepare normal masala vadai & fry it in oil and once the fried vadai's are ready, we break them to pieces and the prepare the gravy to soak the vadai's. Because of the frying part, this recipe calls for more oil usage. Also with extra oil in the recipe, you start feeling too full very soon.
If you want to health-consciously prepare this vadacurry in less oil, you have an alternative. Instead of deep frying the vadai's in oil, steam them in cooker and use the steamed vadai's for the gravy. This way, you don't need too much oil. This method of vadacurry preparation was taught to me by my aunt, Mrs. Geetha and the outcome is not only tasty but healthy too !!! I have cooked vadacurry in this method to happily indulge in a tasty curry with less guilt and more appetite !!!
Ingredients:
Big Onion - 2, chopped to medium size
Medium Tomato - 2, Chopped finely
Channa Dhal - 1 1/2 cups
Green chillies - 6, slit into 4 pieces each
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Salt - 2 tsp
Oil - 6 to 8 tsp
Coriander leaves - 3 tsp, chopped finely
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Seasoning Ingredients: Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp, Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Pre-requisite:
1. Soak channa dhal in warm water for 2 to 3 hours. Drain all the water and keep ready.
2. Grind coconut adding little water to a medium paste.
How to prepare vadai :
1. To grind coarsely without adding water or with very minimal water :- water strained channa dhal - 1 1/2 cups, fennel seeds - 1 tsp, salt - 1/4 tsp
2. Take the coarsely ground mixture and pat them into mini vadai's and place them in the mini idly plate or any other plate and steam in pressure cooker for 7 minutes, as we do for idlies.
3. Once cooked, remove and cool and break these vadai's by hand and keep the broken/mashed vadai's ready for cooking.
1. In a non-stick pan/kadai, add oil and when it becomes hot, add the seasoning ingredients and fry until fennel seeds turns aromatic and the cumin seeds turns brown.
2. Add the chopped onion and fry until onion turns light brown.
3. Add ginger-garlic paste and slit green chillies and mix well and fry until the rawness in the green chillies goes and ginger-garlic emanates nice aroma.
4. Add the chopped tomato and mix very well and cook until it turns mushy.
5. Add the ground coconut paste and mix well. Now add a cup of water and let all contents boil well.
6. Add the mashed vadai's and mix well. Cook covered for 5 minute on low flame, for the flavors of the masala's to get mixed into the vadai's.
7. Open and add chopped coriander leaves and mix well and then remove.
Tips:
1. While seasoning at beginning, you can also add other spices like bay leaves - 2 leaves, cloves - 3, cinnamon stick - 2, cardamom - 2 for added spice and flavor.
2. Optionally, you can also add chopped garlic & ginger and saute well immediately after seasoning, for additional flavor.
3. You can avoid coconut paste too if you wish. This is for extra taste.
4. Alternatively, you can go with the conventional method of frying the vadai's instead of steaming it and then proceed to make the vadacurry as above.
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