Kanji Vada ( Moong dal pakora)

Written by on in Lentil, Side, Snacks
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Kanji Vada ( Moong dal pakora)
Pin
Print

Kanji Vada ( Moong dal pakora)

Recipe by Mudita BhageriaCourse: Appetizers, Snacks, sideCuisine: North indian, indianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

make 25 medium size vada

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes

At the start of spring season, the festival of Holi or sometimes called festival of color  is incomplete without some scrumptious dishes shared with family and friends. Kanji Vada is one such dish that is savored during the festival. It is a spicy drink made with spices such as mustard seeds, asafoetida, red chili etc, served along with vada made from moong dal. It is fermented, sour, tangy and spicy at once, is an excellent probiotic, good for health and can easily be made at home.

You can also add black carrots and beets to make kanji ki gajar (carrot). 

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups moong dal (yellow moong lentil)

  • 2 green chilies (or more as per taste)

  • 1 tsp fennel seeds

  • 3 tbsp mustard seed powder

  • 2 tsp red chili powder (or to taste)

  • 1 tsp hing

  • ⅓ cup besan (chickpea flour)

  • 1 tsp jeera

  • 1 tsp turmeric powder

  • 2 tbsp dhai

  • 2 tbsp whole dhania (Coriander seeds)

  • 2 tbsp cilantro – finely chopped

  • 1 inch ginger – chop into grindable pieces

  • Salt to taste

  • Oil for frying, Preferably use mustard oil

Directions

  • Wash dal 3 times and soak for about 5 hours, or overnight.
  • Remove all water from the dal. Grind in a food processor along with jeera, green chili, ginger,and fennel seeds (Alternately you can use a mixer). Grind Coarse.
  • Transfer the mix into a bowl. Add 2 tbsp oil into the dal. Mix and then add besan (chickpeas flour). Mix using your hand for about 3 minutes to make it fluffy. Keep aside for about 1 hour.
  • Meanwhile, boil 2 liter water, let it cool and then pour in a big jar. Add salt to taste, 2 tbsp dhai, 1 tsp turmeric powder, hing 1/2 tsp , 1 tbsp mustard powder and red chili powder. Stir and keep aside.
  • Take another wide bowl and fill with hot water. Add salt. Keep aside.
  • Put a wok or frying pan on medium heat and add oil. Wait until it is hot.
  • Add cilantro, coriander seeds, salt and ½ tsp hing to dal mixture and mix well with hand.
  • Take dal batter about golf ball size and drop it in hot oil (Use hand or a spoon or take a flat base bowl, cover with cloth and put the dal mix on cloth to make a flat patty and then drop in oil), Make one vada to check if it retains shape and does not crack. Fry well on all sides till golden brown.
  • If vada is cracked, add chickpeas flour and mix well..
  • Fry all vadas in the same manner and transfer to hot water in the wide bowl. Push the vadas in water with a spoon till these are completely dipped.
  • Once cooled, take the vadas out, squeeze water out and add to water in the jar (with mustard etc).
  • Wait for 2-3 days to allow for fermentation to happen, depending on climate till the water is sour.
  • To serve, add 2 vadas and fill with fermented water.
  • Enjoy ☺️

Notes

  • Vadas can be in sphere shape or in the shape of a round patty.
  • You can store it in the fridge for about 3 days in an airtight container.
  • When served cold, the taste is super yummy.
  • You can add smoke to the water. To add smoke, take a small cinnamon stick and burn it on flame. Put it in a small steel bowl and let the bowl float on mustard water. Add 1 tsp ghee and ½ tsp hing and immediately close the lid. Smoke produced will be absorbed by the water and make it even more flavorful.  Take the bowl out after about 5 minutes, 
  • Instead of Kanji, you can make dahi vada also. To do that, dip fried vadas in dahi and add  chutney with spices.
  • If you like this recipe, please check out similar recipes in https://amzn.to/3PAH9s1. (available on Amazon)