Beetroot Sambar Vada - Crisp Savory Indian Doughnuts in Beetroot and Lentil Stew

Ah Vada! That one absolute favorite snack. Vada for breakfast, vada for lunch, vada as an evening snack and vada for dinner also (the dinner option is not quiet healthy!). I wont complain :)

Making vadas at home is quiet easy. Though it might take a few attempts to master the art! The perfect vadas are made when the consistency of the batter, the heat of the oil used for frying and the time for which the vadas are fried are all 'just right'. Hitting the 'just right' mark for these might need some practice,  but if done carefully you will have perfect vadas after the first few you fry. It is not unusual for the initial try to come out with oily or mushy vadas.

Coconut chutney and sambar are wonderful accompaniments for the vada. This time I tried a new variation to the traditional sambar vada, and made the sambar with beetroot. The beautiful red colour beetroot gives to the sambar and the inside of the soaked vada adds to the taste! 

Ingredients:

For the Vada:

Black gram ( urad dal)- 2 cups

Shallots - 4 nos finely chopped
Salt - 2-3 teaspoons
Green chillies - 2 nos finely chopped
Pepper - 1 tsp whole pepper coarsely crushed
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs finely chopped
Ginger - 1 teaspoon finely chopped
Oil - for deep frying

For the sambar:

Beetroot - 2 nos diced

Potato - 1 nos diced

Split pigeon pea (tuvar dal) - 1/2 cup

Tamarind paste - 1teaspoon
Sambar powder - 1 table spoon. This can be bought from any Indian store 
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Dry red chilly - 1 nos
Vegetable Oil - 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt - 1 - 2 teaspoons 

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Method:

For the vada:

Wash and Soak urad dal in water for 4 hours. After 4 hours, drain out the water and grind the dal in a blender.The batter made should be coarse and not too watery, so just add a little bit of water if required. If you want to made the vadas in the shape of doughnuts then the batter should be thick enough to be shaped by your hands.

To the ground batter add salt, shallots, green chillies, pepper, curry leaves and ginger and mix well.

Heat enough oil in a pan for deep frying.

To make doughnut shapes with a hole in the middle, pat your hands with water, take a spoonful of the batter in your hands. Use your thumb to poke a hole through the batter and carefully drop them in oil. Fry them till golden brown.

The easier method is to pour spoonfuls of the batter into the oil and fry them till golden brown.You will get round ball shaped vadas. I prefer doing it this way :)

For the sambar:

Cook tuvar dal in a pressure cooker until they are soft.  

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Wait for the mustard seeds to splutter.

Once done add curry leaves, dry red chilly, asafoetida, sambar masala and saute for a few seconds. 

Add in the cooked tuvar dal, beetroot, potatoes, salt and the tamarind paste.

Add water to get the gravy to the consistency required. Cover and cook on medium heat until the vegetables are cooked.

Hot beetroot sambar is ready

To serve:

Soak  vada in sambar and let it rest for 15 - 20 minutes before serving.

Alternatively, you can also dip vada in hot water and squeeze the remaining water out without spoiling the shape of the vada. Then soak in Sambar and serve immediately.

You can make vadas and have them with coconut chutney, soak them in yogurt and make delicious thair vada, soak them in Rasam and make delicious rasa vada.  You can also try this with any sambar with the vegetable of your choice! There are quiet a few options.