I usually start most of my days either with poha or oats upma or cereals. When I was talking to my friend, the other day, she gave me this vada recipe, since this vadai does not need any grinding and soaking part, immediately I want to give it a try, for my evening snack. Me and my husband really liked it, because it tasted almost like medu vada with crispy texture on outside and soft on inside. You can make this poha vada either as a snack or for navarathri celebrations or diwali. Also make this quick 30 mins aval vada for unannounced guests. I bet kids will love this vadai for sure. Serve this flattened rice vada either with coconut chutney or tomato ketchup and hot tea.
Ingredients
Yield : 9 Vadai
1 Cup of Thick Variety of Aval / Poha / Flattened Rice Flakes
1 Cup of Water
1 Medium Size Onion, Finely Chopped
2 Green Chilies, Finely Chopped
3 Tbsp of Thick Curd (Yogurt)
2 Tbsp of Rice Flour
2 Tsp of Besan Flour / Kadalai Maavu
1 Inch of Ginger, grated
1 Tsp of Whole Black Pepper
Pinch of Asafoetida
1 Sprig of Curry Leaves
2 Tbsp of Cilantro (Coriander Leaves), Finely Chopped
1 Tsp of Salt or to taste
Oil for deep frying
Method
- Soak the aval(poha/rice flakes) in water for 5 mins. Drain as much as water from aval, mash well with hand or with back of the spoon.
- To the mashed rice flakes, add chopped onion, green chilly, ginger, black pepper, asafoetida, curry leaves, chopped coriander leaves, salt, rice flour, besan flour and finally add thick curd, give a quick stir. Knead well with hand to form a thick batter. Make a balls out of the batter.
- Heat oil in a shallow pan. Take a zip lock bag or Milk cover or banana leaf or polythene sheet and have 1 cup of water in bowl on side.
- Just wet your right hand in water, place the batter ball in the center of zip lock bag greased with water. Make a hole in the middle of the batter and carefully transfer it to the hot oil. Deep fry them on medium heat, until it turns golden brown on both sides. Continue the same process for each vadai.
- Serve hot with coconut chutney or peanut chutney or tomato ketchup and tea.
Tips
- You can use thick or thin variety of aval / poha.
- To make this vadai, use white or red rice flakes.
- If you feel your batter is watery, add little more rice flour.
- Adjust the spiciness according to your taste.
- If you don't have besan flour, just use rice flour.
- Addition of rice flour gives crispy taste to vadai.
- You can also add 1/2 tsp of cumin or fennel seeds, for easy digestion. Instead I added asafoetida for digestion.
