The sun comes up, the day begins. The milk is delivered, the paper boy slips the paper under the door. The maid comes in.  The milk is boiled, tea is prepared. My niece is awake.

The day has started.

And I am still under the covers. Its only when my SIL finishes making the breakfast and is done with feeding my niece, that I get up from the bed usually. At times, she might have even left for work.

And on this particular day, she was done with all the regular jobs and was half way through frying these vadas.

 That’s when I jumped into action, pushed her aside and then started making the rest. Else how can I feature them here, without me being involved at all!?

Posting under ‘Navarathi Special’ for the last week of Blogging Marathon 21. Check out the other participants here.

Makes about 12-14 medium vadas

Ingredients:

• Black Urad dal             :            1 cup
• Pepper corns                :            5-10
• Chilies                              :            1
• Curry leaves                 ;             2-3 sprigs
• Coriander leaves        ;             a handful
• Salt
• Oil for frying

Method:

1. Wash and soak the dal for 30 – 40 minutes. Drain the water completely and grind along with the other ingredients. If required add water in tablespoons.
2. The batter will be greenish in color. It has to be light and fluffy.
3. Refrigerate until ready to use. Heat oil for deep-frying. Take a tablespoon of the batter in a plastic sheet and shape the vadas (a piece of banana leaf is used traditionally). Deep fry them. Depending on the size of the vessel and of the vadas, you can fry 3-4 vadas at the same time.
4. While the vadas are cooking, keep the batter back in fridge, or better the freezer. This helps in keeping the batter thick and makes it easy to shape them.
5. Make vadas with the rest of the batter and have them with chutney or as such.