Vada Koottu Curry

For vada:

Ingredients

• Urud Dal (Black gram) – 1/2 cup (soak for 2 to 3 hours)
• Rice powder – 1 tbsp
• Onion – 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
• Green chilli – 1 No (finely chopped)
• Black pepper – 1/2 tsp (crushed)
• Curry leaves – few (finely chopped)
• Salt – as needed
• Oil- for frying

Preparation

Grind urud dal to fine smooth paste, by adding 2 tablespoons of water. Add all the above ingredients except oil, mix well. Beat the batter with a spoon or fork for few minutes to get soft and crispy vada. Heat the oil for frying in a pan. Make small balls with the vada batter. Fry till golden colour, over medium flame.

For curry

Ingredients

• Coconut oil – 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
• Coconut milk – 2 cups, thick
• Coconut milk – 1 cup, thin
• Potato – 1 No, cut to cubes
• Tomato – 2 Nos, sliced
• Onion – 1 No, sliced
• Green Chilli – 2 Nos
• Garam Masala powder – 1 tsp (Can use whole spices also)
• Fennel powder – 1 tsp
• Black pepper powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• Red Chilli powder – 1 tsp, optional
• Salt – as needed
• Curry leaves – few
• Coriander leaves – few

Preparation

In a heated pan, add oil. When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds. Upon popping, add Whole garam masala spices and saute for a while. Then add ginger, garlic, green chilli, onion and saute till soft by adding little salt. Salt helps  onions to change the colour  fast. Now add coriander powder, fennel powder, black pepper powder, turmeric powder and red chilli powder. If you are using garam masala powder instead of whole spices add it here with other spice powders. Saute till fragrant. Add thin coconut milk, salt as needed and mix well. Add potatoes, tomatoes and mix well. Cover and cook till potatoes are done well. Add thick coconut milk and just make it warm. Do not boil. Add some curry leaves and chopped coriander leaves. After this, add the fried vada balls and mix well. Make the consistency of the curry thin as vada absorbs the gravy. Enjoy with rice, appam, poratta, chappthi, roti etc.

Refer step by step video below