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A classic Chennai street-food style curry made with crumbled lentil fritters (vada) simmered in a fragrant and spicy onion-tomato gravy. It's the perfect side dish for soft idlis, dosas, or even pooris.
For 4 servings
Prepare the Dal
Grind the Vada Mixture
Steam the Vadas
A classic Chennai street-food style curry made with crumbled lentil fritters (vada) simmered in a fragrant and spicy onion-tomato gravy. It's the perfect side dish for soft idlis, dosas, or even pooris.
This south_indian recipe takes 60 minutes to prepare and yields 4 servings. At 403.75 calories per serving with 12.48g of protein, it's a moderately challenging recipe perfect for breakfast or brunch or lunch or dinner.
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Prepare the Curry Base
Build the Gravy
Simmer and Finish the Curry
Serve
Instead of steaming, shape the dal paste into small, flat vadas and shallow fry them in oil until golden and crisp. Crumble these fried vadas into the curry for a more indulgent taste and texture.
For a lighter, tangier gravy, you can omit the coconut milk entirely. You may need to add a little extra water to achieve the desired consistency.
Make it a more complete meal by adding diced vegetables like potatoes, carrots, or green peas to the gravy while it simmers, before adding the crumbled vadas.
Chana dal (split chickpeas) is an excellent source of protein, which is essential for muscle repair, growth, and overall body function, making this a satisfying and nourishing dish.
The lentils in this dish provide a significant amount of dietary fiber, which aids digestion, promotes gut health, and helps in maintaining stable blood sugar levels.
Chana dal offers complex carbohydrates that are digested slowly, providing a steady release of energy and keeping you full for longer.
The use of spices like turmeric, ginger, and garlic not only adds incredible flavor but also provides compounds with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.
Vadacurry is a popular South Indian, particularly Chennai-style, curry made from crumbled lentil fritters (vadas) simmered in a spicy and aromatic onion-tomato gravy. It's a traditional and beloved accompaniment for breakfast dishes like idli and dosa.
Chana dal is traditional and provides the best texture. You can experiment by mixing it with a small amount of toor dal (pigeon peas), but using only other dals might result in a mushy texture that doesn't hold up in the gravy.
This usually happens if the dal wasn't drained properly. To fix it, you can add a tablespoon or two of rice flour or besan (gram flour) to help absorb the excess moisture and bind the mixture.
Vadacurry can be a nutritious dish as it's rich in plant-based protein and fiber from the chana dal. The healthiness depends on the amount of oil and coconut milk used. Steaming the vadas, as in this recipe, is a much healthier choice than frying.
A typical serving of this Vadacurry (around 340g) contains approximately 380-420 calories, depending on the specific amount of oil and the fat content of the coconut milk used.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. The curry will thicken upon cooling. Reheat it gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of hot water to return it to your desired consistency.
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