Air fryer masal vada

I shared a recipe for medhu vadai previously which required more prep ( i.e. making a batter etc.). Masal vadai can be made much more easily!When you have a hankering for this just soak the bengal gram (chana dal) and you can use it in a few hours. It is a high protein, crunchy, tasty snack.It is typically deep fried but I used this recipe for air-fryer instructions and my mom's recipe to make the batter for the vada.

Ingredients:

Channa Dal 1/2 cup ( soak in water for 2 hours)

Onion - 1/2 chopped finely

fennel- 1 tbsp

cilantro- chopped 1/4 cup

curry leaf- 4 or 5

dried red chili - 1 ground into a powder

salt to taste

oil- 1 tbsp

Instructions:

Pre-heat air fryer to 390F

1. Take the soaked dal and grind into a coarse paste in the blender. (Leave a hand full of whole dal out to mix in later to give a bit of crunch to the vada)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2.  Now add a little oil on a sauce pan on medium heat. Saute the onions until translucent and then saute fennel 
3. Now add in the onion and fennel mixture, salt, cilantro, curry leaf to the ground dal and mix well. Taste the mixture to adjust the salt. Now add in ground red chili powder to taste.
   
   
   
4. Shape the mixture into little balls and flatten them. You can apply some oil on your hands to prevent the vada from sticking to your hand.

   

5. Spritz with oil and place in the air fryer basket and cook for 4 min at 390 F. Flip it over and spritz with some oil and cook for another 4 minutes.  Healthy and tasty masal vadai is ready to serve.

Vegetable or paneer bajji (pakora/ fritters)

 Bajji is a South Indian snack. Any vegetable or Indian cheese (paneer) can be dipped in a batter and deep fried . This is very similar to state fair foods in the US.

Ingredients for the batter:

Besan flour (chickpea flour) - 1/2 cup

Rice flour - 1/2 cup

Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt- 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida- a pinch

Baking soda- a pinch

Water

Other ingredients 

Vegetable you want to fry : choose your vegetable or paneer

Onion - cut into thin rounds or into long thin slices

Potato - cut into thin rounds

Carrot - cut into 2 inch thin strip

Plantain cut into two and then into thin vertical slices

Paneer ( if frozen thawed) cut into small cubes - 1 cup

Oil for frying about 3 cups - can use canola/vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients for the batter in a large mixing bowl
   
   
   
2. Add water ( take a cup of water) to it slowly some at a time and mix the batter. You want the batter not too thick but not runny . You should be able to coat the vegetables in it.
3. While doing this place the oil in a deep saucepan (or use a deep fryer set to 375 F) and place on high heat until the oil is heated (about 375F). If you don't have a thermometer take a little bit of batter and put in the oil and you will know it is the right temperature if the batter cooks without burning and rises to the top slowly ( if it sticks to the bottom the oil is not hot enough and if it burns and comes to the top too quickly then the oil is too hot). Once the oil is heated well reduce to medium heat.
4. Now take the vegetables or the paneer and dip in the batter with your hands until it is coated well
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Next drop the dipped vegetables/paneer in the oil gently ( make sure you slide it in the oil making sure not to drop it from a height since this will cause the burning oil to splash on you and cause burns)
   
   
   
6. Fry until one side is golden brown, then turn over with a skimmer spoon ( stainless steel spoon with holes in it to drain the excess oil) so the other side is golden brown.
   
   
   
7. Place the bajjis on plate with paper towels on them to drain the excess oil
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. Serve with tamarind sauce/coconut chutney(coconut chutney)/ketchup