Festive Cuisine - Holi

Vada-Kanji

INGREDIENTS:

500 gms Urad dal
4 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp salt
Half litre boiled and filtered water
2 tsp red chilli powder
¼ tsp asafoetida (hing)
1tsp turmeric powder
1 inch ginger piece
5 green chillies and a bunch of clean coriander leaves
Oil for frying

METHOD:

Wash and soak the urad dal overnight. Grind soaked dal in a grinding stone or mixer to make a smooth paste. Transfer this to a vessel; add salt according to taste, a pinch of asafoetida, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp baking powder and whisk lightly with a tablespoon or a whip until smooth and fluffy. Once the mixture is ready, heat oil.

Grease your left palm with a little oil, keep a moist piece of cloth on it, and take a tablespoonful of dal mixture and spread on the cloth in a circular shape. Fill the mixture with a few pieces of finely grated ginger, cut green chillies and chopped coriander leaves, fold the cloth in semicircular shape. Open the cloth gently and slide the vada in the hot oil and fry on a medium heat till it is done and crisp. Poke a vada with a knife to check whether it is fully cooked or not. Similarly fry all the vadas and preserve.

Take a pot, preferably earthen (to get the typical flavour), and wash it nicely, fill it with previously boiled water, add freshly ground mustard powder, salt, red chilly powder and turmeric powder. Transfer all the vadas in the pot and stir lightly. Tie a piece of cloth on top of the pot tightly and keep it daily in the sun for two to three days before the Holi festival so that the vadas are fermented well and give a tangy taste. You can offer these soaked vadas to your guests who visit you on Holi. This is not only a tasty drink but also a digestive.

However, the vada should be consumed within a week from the date of preparation.

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