Recipe for Pachai Payaru Vadai / Green Gram Vadai made with Green Moong Dal / Mung bean. Spicy vadai made with whole green moong beans. Recipe with step by step pictures.
This is a very easy and simple recipe made with whole moong dal and is perfect for that “naalu mani palaharam” – “four pm snacks”. This spicy masala vada is a great snack and can be made very easily with a little bit of planning (soak the moong dal). If the moong dal is not properly soaked, it wont be soft and it wont grind properly.
Wash and soak the green mung dal in water for 4-5 hours. After soaking, drain the dal and grind the dal to a paste. Do not add any water while grinding. Grind to a tad slightly coarse paste. Remove the paste and set aside to a bowl.
Add in the finely chopped ginger, green chillies, curry leaves, mint leaves, and onions. If you cannot mince the ginger and green chillies fine, you can also grind it along with the dal. Make sure all the ingredients are chopped fine. It is not very pleasant to get a big bite of ginger or green chilli when enjoying a bite of vadai.
Also add in the fennel seeds, asafoetida (hing-perungayam) and the salt. Add in a little pinch of baking soda and a teaspoon of oil. The little pinch of baking soda will help in avoiding dense vadai’s and that little addition of oil will help the vadai’s crisp up well. Do not add too much oil or the vadai’s will break when added for deep frying. Ginger and asafoetida will help with digestion and whenever making dal, make sure to add these two ingredients.
Mix well and check for seasoning. Add extra salt if necessary. Form the vadai. Take a small lime size batter in hand and make a ball. Make small balls. Remember that smaller balls makes for crispier vadai’s. Gently flatten it on the hands. Gather the edges to smoothen. The more you flatten, the more crispier the vadais. Gently lower the vadais in hot oil and cook the vadai on both sides until golden brown.
The Vadai is done when the bubbles in the oil subside and the vadai is golden brown.
Green Moong Dal / Pachai Payaru Vadai is ready!
- 1 cup green moong dal / whole mung bean
- 1/2 inch ginger, minced
- 3 green chillies, minced
- 1 sprig curry leaves, finely chopped
- 4 sprig mint leaves, finely chopped
- 4 sprig coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 1 cup onions, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (perungayam)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- a pinch of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon oil for the dough
- Vegetable oil for deep frying
- Wash and soak the green mung dal in water for 4-5 hours. After soaking, drain the dal and grind the dal to a paste. Do not add any water while grinding. Grind to a tad slightly coarse paste. Remove the paste and set aside to a bowl.
- Add in the finely chopped ginger, green chillies, curry leaves, mint leaves, and onions. If you cannot mince the ginger and green chillies fine, you can also grind it along with the dal. Make sure all the ingredients are chopped fine.
- Also add in the fennel seeds, asafoetida (hing-perungayam) and the salt. Add in a little pinch of baking soda and a teaspoon of oil. The little pinch of baking soda will help in avoiding dense vadai’s and that little addition of oil will help the vadai’s crisp up well. Do not add too much oil or the vadai’s will break when added for deep frying.
- Mix well and check for seasoning. Add extra salt if necessary. Form the vadai. Take a small lime size batter in hand and make a ball. Make small balls. Remember that smaller balls makes for crispier vadai’s. Gently flatten it on the hands. Gather the edges to smoothen. The more you flatten, the more crispier the vadais. Gently lower the vadais in hot oil and cook the vadai on both sides until golden brown.
- The Vadai is done when the bubbles in the oil subside and the vadai is golden brown.
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 5 hours
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Snack
- Cuisine: Tamilnadu
- 1 cup green moong dal / whole mung bean
- 1/2 inch ginger, minced
- 3 green chillies, minced
- 1 sprig curry leaves, finely chopped
- 4 sprig mint leaves, finely chopped
- 4 sprig coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 1 cup onions, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (perungayam)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- a pinch of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon oil for the dough
- Vegetable oil for deep frying
- Wash and soak the green mung dal in water for 4-5 hours. After soaking, drain the dal and grind the dal to a paste. Do not add any water while grinding. Grind to a tad slightly coarse paste. Remove the paste and set aside to a bowl.
- Add in the finely chopped ginger, green chillies, curry leaves, mint leaves, and onions. If you cannot mince the ginger and green chillies fine, you can also grind it along with the dal. Make sure all the ingredients are chopped fine.
- Also add in the fennel seeds, asafoetida (hing-perungayam) and the salt. Add in a little pinch of baking soda and a teaspoon of oil. The little pinch of baking soda will help in avoiding dense vadai’s and that little addition of oil will help the vadai’s crisp up well. Do not add too much oil or the vadai’s will break when added for deep frying.
- Mix well and check for seasoning. Add extra salt if necessary. Form the vadai. Take a small lime size batter in hand and make a ball. Make small balls. Remember that smaller balls makes for crispier vadai’s. Gently flatten it on the hands. Gather the edges to smoothen. The more you flatten, the more crispier the vadais. Gently lower the vadais in hot oil and cook the vadai on both sides until golden brown.
- The Vadai is done when the bubbles in the oil subside and the vadai is golden brown.
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 5 hours
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Snack
- Cuisine: Tamilnadu
Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/pachai-payaru-vadai/
Recipe for Chicken Salna Madurai style. Spicy Salna – Perfect side dish for Parotta and Dosai. Recipe with step by step pictures.
Parotta with Salna is a comfort food for a lot of us Tamilians. Salna is nothing but a thin gravy usually made with meat stock. The crispy and fluffy parottas dunked in salna is what food dreams are made up of for a lot of us Tamilians. Usually in restaurants, its made with stock and a ground paste of cashew or peanuts or both. While the meat is used in thicker gravies and fried chicken etc… the stock from the bones is used to make salna. The history states that the dish must have originated from Hyderabadi Mirchi ka Salan that is made with peanuts and chillies. But there is nothing common between the two except for the peanut paste used to thicken the gravy. Here is my version of Chicken Salna. It goes perfectly well with Parottas , Dosai and idli .
First let us make a paste for the salna. Here is what you will need for the masala paste for making salna.
Heat oil in a pan and add in the dry spices, ginger and the garlic. Roast the spices on a low flame till they are slightly brown and fragrant. Add in the coconut and peanuts. Roast for a minute. Remove the roasted ingredients from heat and set aside to cool.
Once the ingredients are cool, add in a little water and grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Heat oil in a pan ( I use a pressure pan) and add in the sliced shallots and the curry leaves. Add in the salt. Saute for a few minutes till the shallots are soft.
Add in a chopped tomato and saute till the tomatoes are cooked and juiced down.
Add in a teaspoon of Kuzhambu milgai thool and half teaspoon of turmeric powder. Kuzhambu milagai thool is a spice blend used in South Indian kitchen. If you do not have access to Kuzhambu milagai thool, substitute it with curry powder.
Add in the chicken pieces and toss the chicken to coat.
Add in the chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves. Add in the ground paste.
Wash the mixie with a cup of water and add it back to the pan. Add in another cup of water to dilute the gravy.
Cover the cooker and cook for about four whistles (about 10-12 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Allow the pressure from the cooker to release naturally. Simple salna is ready.
Serve with Parotta. Here is the recipe for parotta.
For the Salna Paste
- 1/4 cup fresh coconut
- 2 tablespoon peanuts
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 3 cardamom
- 1/2 inch piece cinnamon
- 1/2 inch piece ginger
- 8 cloves garlic
Other Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon peanut oil
- 10 shallots, sliced
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 teaspoon kuzhambu milagai thool (or) curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 3 sprigs mint leaves
- 3 sprigs coriander leaves
- 500 grams chicken in bone
- Heat oil in a pan and add in the dry spices, ginger and the garlic. Roast the spices on a low flame till they are slightly brown and fragrant. Add in the coconut and peanuts. Roast for a minute. Remove the roasted ingredients from heat and set aside to cool.
- Once the ingredients are cool, add in a little water and grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan ( I use a pressure pan) and add in the sliced shallots and the curry leaves. Add in the salt. Saute for a few minutes till the shallots are soft.
- Add in a chopped tomato and saute till the tomatoes are cooked and juiced down.
- Add in a teaspoon of Kuzhambu milgai thool and half teaspoon of turmeric powder. Kuzhambu milagai thool is a spice blend used in South Indian kitchen. If you do not have access to Kuzhambu milagai thool, substitute it with curry powder.
- Add in the chicken pieces and toss the chicken to coat.
- Add in the chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves. Add in the ground paste.
- Wash the mixie with a cup of water and add it back to the pan. Add in another cup of water to dilute the gravy.
- Cover the cooker and cook for about four whistles (about 10-12 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Allow the pressure from the cooker to release naturally. Simple salna is ready.
- Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Side dish
- Cuisine: Tamilnadu
