Soak Urad dal in sufficient water overnight. Next morning, grind to a coarse paste in the food processor with salt and just a bit of fresh water. I had freshly ground ginger paste which I used, otherwise, you can grind the ginger and chillies with the dal. I added green chilli paste, ginger paste, hing to the mixture. I also added (optional) whole cumin seeds + fennel seeds + lightly crushed whole dhania seeds. Beat the mixture with your hands to make a light batter. Heat oil in a kadai and fry vadas tilll golden brown. Add them to warm water, press with hands to remove the water and set aside. Beat yogurt with water and salt and spread over the wet wadas. Garnish with red and green chutneys, red chilli poweder, roasted cumin powder, chat masala (optional. I didn't use it this time), and cilantro. Serve chilled.
To my non-Indian friends, who enjoy cooking Indian food..It's a rather long post, but it's meant for those who dream of exotic food all day long and constantly obsess over their ingredients.... Most of you have heard of Turmeric and Garam Masala and Ghee...But here are some ingredients that I think can help step up your game. If you want to move beyond naan, and greasy curries, and understand the beauty and simplicity of simple, home made Indian food, you need to get to know these ingredients. Some of these are short-cuts, but hey, every good cook has some dark secrets. Some of these ingredients sound really scary, but be brave, and just venture into your nearest Indian grocery store to find them, and you will be rewarded with new flavor awakenings. 1. Chaat Masala: It's a mixture of spices, usually sold in small cardboard boxes. I usually buy "MDH" brand, but most brands are good. "Chaat" means "to lick". This spice is literally lip sma
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