Crispy Fluffy Ulundhu Bonda with a TWIST ( Crispy Fluffy Urad Dal Fritters or savory donut balls)

This happened to be an accidentally discovered recipe. We had urad dal soaking for a good 4 to 5 hours in the water and later it was ground into smooth fluffy batter with some water for at least 30 minutes(Do not add a lot of water, we need fairly thick consistency batter). The batter has to double in size and become pale, that's how you know it's fluffy. If you are using wet mixer or blender then you need to pause in between your grinding or use cold water to avoid the mixer getting hot. We don't want our batter to become hot in the grinding process as it will lead towards hard and dense bonda which is completely a 'No No' sign. Since the dal was a good quality one, it produced extremely  thick fluffy batter. The batter was airy just like the beaten egg whites. We thought apart from making vadai which would consume more oil with that much of airiness. So, an idea struck, why not make bonda/ fritter/ savory donut balls with besan and rice flour to minimize the absorption of oil while frying. It was unbelievably tasty and good. With the additional mixture of coriander leaves and green chilies, it was excellent savory option for an evening snack. The bite size donut balls are perfect when dipped in your favorite chili sauce condiment. Give a try and please do leave a comment below. 

Crispy Fluffy Ulundhu Bonda with a TWIST ( Crispy Fluffy Urad Dal Fritters or savory donut balls)

INGREDIENTS: 

Fluffy Ulundhu maavu / White Urad dal batter - 1 cup

Kadala maavu / Besan flour - 4 heap teaspoons

Coriander leaves - 3 tablespoons

Green chilies - 3 

Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon

Salt - to taste

Oil - to deep fry

METHOD:

1. For this recipe you will need fluffy ulundhu/ urad dal batter which you grind for making vadai. I used wet grinder for this process. 

2. Soak urad dal/ ulundhu for four hours and grind until light fluffy adding some water. Remember do not add a lot of water otherwise the fritter or bonda will absorb more oil when frying.

3. Take a cup of batter, whisk it to produce more air and fluffiness so that it it crispy in the outside and soft in the inside.

Fluffy batter with besan and rice flour

4. To this batter add besan/kadala flour and rice flour. Then finely chop in coriander leaves and green chilies. 

Addition of coriander leaves and green chilies

5. Add salt to taste and asafoetida is a must. 

6. Prepare a wider pan for seep frying process with enough oil to submerge the fritters.

6. With the help of two tablespoons, form medium sized balls and drop them into the hot oil. Drain the bonda or fritters in a paper towel placed inside a colander.

Bonda/fritter/donut balls frying in the oil

 

7. Serve hot with chili sauce or ketchup or siracha (Korean hot and spicy sauce).

Thank you

Abby 

Soya Bean Savoury Fritters

This post had been lying in my draft for nearly a month. The first time when I made the fritters as a kitchen experiment, I never knew it was going to be a great success among the rest in my family. This recipe was adapted from my earlier post of 'Masala Vadai'. I felt that using Australian dal (type of Channa dal) as a main component in this fritter creates heaviness after devouring few pieces. So, an idea struck my mind of using white soya bean which was left in the pantry for many months. Well, it was a good excuse to eliminate the stuff from my pantry after the last attempt of making soya bean beverage. There wasn't any strange smell of soya but surprisingly it created soft interior. I kept the use of other ingredients to minimum. Blended green chillies and fennel along with Australian dal and soya bean indeed a special concoction. Well of course the fritter was deep fried but once in a blue moon, you need to indulge the soul with unhealthy way of cooking but entice your heart with the use of healthy ingredients. A CHEAT TREAT for your heart and soul, I guess.  I hope many viewers will try this recipe and have a great success in their kitchen.

Soya Bean Savoury Fritter

Ingredients :

Australian Bengal dal or Australian Channa dal : 1/2 cup
White soya bean : 1 3/4 cups
Onion :1 medium

Small green chillies :6 (adjust accordingly)

Fennel seeds : 1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp (used more in place of asofetida)

Curry leaves : 2 sprigs

Salt : as needed 

Oil : for frying

Method :

1. Soak dal and soya bean in a sufficient water for 8 hours.

2. After 8 hours, drain off excess water in a colander.

3. In a liquidizer, add soaked dal and soya bean along with salt, chopped green chillies and 1 tbsp plus 1/2 tsp of fennel seeds. Grind half of the dal to a smooth paste and the other half grind to a coarse texture without adding water.

4. To the ground dal mixture, add finely chopped onion and curry leaves. I kept half the ground mixture in the refrigerator for later use. In that case, I did not add chopped onion to all the mixture only to the first batch of mixture that I planned to fry. The reason was I don't want liquid to ooze out after adding onion and salt and turn the mixture soggy and unpleasant.

5. Mix well and form a small lemon size ball and pat it lightly on top and edges.

6. Sufficient oil is needed for deep frying this savory balls. Keep oil on medium flame and make sure oil is hot enough before frying. 

7. Serve hot as an evening snack.

-Abby

 

Masala Vadai or Savoury Fritter

There is something about Masala Vadai that I hated for a long time and it used to be the least favorite snack of mine. I find the garam masala powder and ginger smell quite strong and always leave a heavy feeling after eating the lentil based fritters. The previous notion was completely given an enlightenment after tasting the same fritters at my friend's house. She made them just the way I preferred, you know light, crunchy and not overpowering with the masala ingredients as implied by its own name 'Masala Vadai'. Few ingredients turned the savory fritter to be a simple tasty one. The lesson was that food need not be delectable only when the list of ingredients reach the ground but simplicity and minimum ingredients could also improve the taste far better than what we had imagined. Please do not use other type of dal or lentil as Australian Bengal dal or Australian Kadala Parupu is the star of this recipe.

Masala Vadai

Ingredients :

Australian Bengal dal or Australian Kadala Parupu : 1 1/4 cups

Small onions : 6

Small green chillies :4 (adjust accordingly)

Dry red chillies : 6 (adjust accordingly)

Fennel seeds : 1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp (used more in place of asofetida)

Curry leaves : 2 sprigs

Salt : as needed 

Oil : for frying

Method :

1. Soak bengal dal in a sufficient water for 8 hours.

2. After 8 hours, drain off excess water in a colander.

3. In a liquidizer add soaked dal, salt, dry red chillies and 1 tbsp of fennel seeds. Grind half of the dal to a smooth paste and the other half grind to a coarse texture without adding water.

4. To the ground dal mixture, add finely chopped small onions, green chillies, curry leaves and 1/2 tsp of fennel seeds.

5. Mix well and form a small lemon size ball and pat it lightly on top and edges.

6. Enough oil is needed for deep frying this savory lentils. Keep oil on medium flame and make sure oil is hot enough before frying. 

7. Serve hot as an evening snack.

Masala Vadai

Medu Vadai or Ulundhu Vadai

Two days ago, we celebrated my best friend Nitu's birthday at my home. I had promised her to give a surprise party 3 years ago which I kept postponing due to the teaching job that I'm engaged with. Well, normally, I just give her a treat or hangout at our favorite restaurant but this time after a series of entreat from her, I consented to cook her favorite dishes with a condition which she unwillingly agreed. She must help me at the kitchen and wash up the dirty dishes after the birthday bash. We invited our close friends, decorated the house using hand-made origami and served varieties of delicacies with recipe written on a golden slip of paper which was enveloped with a red ribbon. In exchange, our friends should also be swapping with us their family recipes which they had tried and tested in their own kitchen.Today I'll be posting medu vadai that can be served either for breakfast  or as an evening  snack or at any Indian occasion. The secret of making perfect crispy outer layer and soft inside vadai lies in good grinding of urad dal which should only be soaked in water for 10 to 15 minutes. Lets have look at the ingredients needed for making this vadai.

Ingredients:

Urad dal or ulundhu : 1cup

Raw rice : 3 tbsp

Green chillies : 4

Big Onion : 1

Curry leaves : a sprig

Asofetida : 1/2 tsp

Salt : as needed

Oil : for deep frying

Method :

1. Soak urad dal and rice in sufficient amount of water for 10 to 15 minutes only.

2. Drain off the excess water and start grinding them in a blender or grinder. You may add little water from time to time if you face the difficulty to grind well. You should grind them into smooth and fluffy thick paste. Do not add a lot of water as your vadai will absorb oil and turn soggy too. Be careful in adding water and only sprinkle with some water during the grinding difficulty. All the green chillies can be added while grinding.

3.Finely chop the onions and curry leaves. Add them to the thick vadai mixture with salt as much needed and asofetida powder. Always add salt at the end and before frying.

4. Using a plastic or zip lock bag, take a small ball of the paste, flatten it lightly on the surface you are working on and by using your index finger shape a hole in the center. 

5. Pour sufficient oil for deep frying in a wide pan. Keep the flame on medium high. Transfer the shaped vadai into the oil. You may fry three vadais at the same time depending on the size of the pan you are using.

6. Serve the vadai with coconut chutney.

Medu Vadai

-Abby