Mint Masal Vadai

Ingredients

Dried split yellow peas/Vadai Paruppu - 1/2cup

Chopped shallots - 1/4cup

Green chillies- 3

Fennel seeds-1/2teaspoon

Ginger- 1" piece

Garlic- 2 cloves

Few curry leaves, cilantro
Mint leaves - 10to15 leaves

Salt

Oil 

Method

Wash and soak the dhal for 2 hours. Drain the excess water. 

Keep a fist full of soaked dhal aside. 

Grind the rest of the dhal with ginger-garlic-green chillies to a coarse paste (without adding water)

Chop the curry leaves-cilantro and mint leaves into small pieces. 

Combine the saved dhal, ground dhal, chopped shallots,curry leaves, cilantro and mint leaves. Add fennel seeds and enough salt.

Meanwhile, start heating oil to deep fry the vadai.

Mix everything well and make small balls out of the dough.

Flatten the balls in your left palm and carefully drop them into oil. [The oil should be on medium heat].
Fry the vadai till it turn golden in both the sides, take them out, drain the excess oil in a paper towel and serve hot. It tastes great with evening tea or coffee.

Using vadai paruppu / pattani paruppu / dried yellow peas gives a nice taste and texture to vadai than kadalai paruppu/ channa dhal. These vadai will be crispy outside and soft inside. Adding mint leaves enhances the taste, and gives a unique flavour.

Traditionally, vadai-payasam completes the typical South-Indian Lunch. Break a vadai into small pieces, soak  in the payasam for a while and...dig in!! I bet, you can't eat just one! :))))