Masala Dal Vada | Paruppu Vadai

Golden-brown crispy dal vadas stacked on a plate, garnished with fresh cilantro.

Masala Dal Vada | Paruppu Vadai

Learn to make crispy and flavorful Dal Vada, a South Indian fried savory snack made with lentils like chana dal, and toor dal along with aromatic spices and herbs. Also called Paruppu Vadai, they are crispy on the outside and soft inside. Ideal for tea-time treats or festive celebrations! These lentil fritters are vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free.

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Indian, South Indian

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1 15

Servings Vadas

Calories 57.86kcal

Author Priya Lakshminarayan

Equipment

Ingredients

2 cups chana dal
1 cup tur dal
½ cup urad dal
5-6 green chillies
4 dried red chillies
1 inch ginger
10-12 curry leaves
1 cup cilantro
salt
1 teaspoon GF asafoetida
1 onion

Instructions

Rinse chana dal, toor dal, and urad dal thoroughly. Soak the lentils together in room-temperature water for 45 minutes to an hour (no need to soak longer).
Once soaked, drain the water completely.
Add half of the chopped cilantro, curry leaves, ginger, broken green chilies, and dried red chilies to the blender jar.
Add a handful of the soaked and drained lentils to the jar to help grind the ginger and chilies evenly.
Blitz the mixture until the initial ingredients are coarsely ground. Avoid adding any water.
Add the remaining lentils, cilantro, and a pinch of asafoetida to the grinder.
Grind coarsely without adding water. If necessary, grind in two batches to ensure even texture. Leave some lentils partially ground to enhance the crispy texture of the Masala Vada.
Transfer the coarse Chana Dal Vada mixture to a large mixing bowl.
Add finely chopped onions and salt to the batter, ensuring it’s neither too moist nor too dry. I added 2 teaspoons of salt. Optional: Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes for crispier vadas.
Heat oil for frying and pour 2 tablespoons of hot oil (or warm vegan ghee/regular ghee) into the batter. Mix well until it resembles a loose dough. Check oil readiness by dropping a small batter ball—if it rises without browning, the oil is ready.
Shape the batter into lemon-sized balls, flatten lightly, and fry in batches over low flame. Avoid overcrowding and flip only after one side is browned.
Fry until the vadas are golden brown and crispy. Transfer these lentil fritters to a paper towel-lined plate to remove excess oil and repeat as needed.

Video

Notes

Taste the batter, and if it feels too salty, sprinkle a little rice flour to absorb the excess salt. If making the vadas for neividhyam (prasad), skip adding onions. It's crucial not to add any water while grinding the batter, as the natural moisture from the soaked lentils is enough to bring it together. When frying, avoid cooking the dal vadas on high flame, as it will cause them to brown quickly on the outside while remaining uncooked inside. For extra crispiness, you can add half a teaspoon of baking soda to the paruppu vada batter just before frying.

Nutrition