Garelu (vada)

Garelu(vada) is one of the most popular snack in all over South India. Not only for festivals, for all other occasions we make this snack with different side dishes. There are some occasions where this Garelu is must in the menu. Like Sankranthi menu, in Desara nine days we make Garelu on fifth day as an offering to Godess Gayathri. Other then this festivals we celebrate one day before Dasara nine days for our elders of the family that is MAHALAYA AMAVASYA OR PITRU PAKSHA AMAVASYA.

The new moon day in the beginning of Dasara ( it will fall in between October and November month) is known as Mahalaya Amavasya or Pitru paksha Amavasya . It is a special day dedicated to our previous generations of people. This day we do some rituals and offer food to our ancestors, donate food,cloths to poor people. we prepare a lunch with Garelu Allam pachadi and payasam for this special day.
Now lets check the recipe.
INGREDIENTS:--
Urad dal  -- 1 cup
Rice   --- 1 tab sp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying
                                                    

METHOD:---
you can add chopped onion but not on the festival days and other special days. And also you can add finely chopped totakura (amaranth leaves), finely chopped cabbage, finely chopped green chillies and ginger. You can add a tea sp of cumin seeds to make Garelu more flavorful.
1. wash and soak urad dal, rice in enough water for 3 hours.
2. After three hours drain all the water from dal and grind in a wet grinder or a in a blender in to a smooth paste with very little water means just sprinkle water.
3. Add salt and grind for few more seconds. remove from the grinder, set a side.
For best results keep the batter in the fridge for half an hour. So that when you deep fry Garelu they don't drink much oil. If you feel like you added more water to the batter and you can not handle it to make Garelu then add a tab sp of rice flour to the batter mix well and try. So take care when you grinding itself and add very little water.
                                                         

4. Now heat oil in a deep frying pan.
5. Take a small portion from the batter, make a small ball.
6. Take a banana leaf or a small plastic sheet apply little water , place the ball on that and press in to a small circle, make a hole with your finger.
7. Take the Gare from the banana leaf and slowly drop it in to hot oil.
8. Make 5-6 garelu at a time and deep fry till golden.
9. Remove the fried Garelu from oil and place them on a kitchen paper.
Serve hot with Allam chutney or coconut chutney, sambar.
This is my fifth recipe for Blogging Marathon 27th edition under occasional recipes theme let's check other BM members recipes here