Masala Vada Pulusu

I came across many versions of vada curry, specially in Tamilnadu they make this as a semi gravy. In Andhra pradesh we make this with a tamarind base gravy specially in south Andhra Pradesh. Here I give a small twist to normal masala vada. Normally we deep fry the masala vadas, but here I  stuffed the masala vadas with raisins and steamed them in idly cooker to make it little more interesting.

FOR MASALA VADA (STEAMED):--

Chana dal  ---- 1 cup
Ginger  --- 1/2 inch piece
Green chillies ---  3 or according to your taste
Fennel seeds  --- 1/2 tea sp
Raisins  ---20
Salt to taste
METHOD:--
1. Soak chana dal with fennel seeds in enough water for 2 hours.
2. After 2 hours drain the water and ground the chana dal with ginger and green chillies in to a coarse paste.
3. Make small balls out of this chana dal mixture and stuff with 3 raisins in each bal, flatten them lightly.
4. Arrange the flatten chana dal vadas in idly plates(grease the idly plates with little oil before you arrange the vadas).
5. Steam cook masala vadas in the idly cooker for 15 minutes, switch off the heat and leave the masala vadas in the idly cooker and set a side.
Instead steaming you can deep fry the masala vadas and add them to the Pulusu (tamarind gravy).
                                                                

FOR TAMARIND GRAVY( PULUSU):---
Onion  ---- 1 big finely chopped
Tomato   ---- 1 medium finely chopped
Garlic  ---  5 cloves finely chopped
Tamarind -- golf ball size that is 10 gms or one table spoon thick tamarind paste.
Turmeric powder  -- -1/4 tea sp
Red chilli powder --- 1 tea sp
Salt to taste
Coriander powder --- 1/2 tea sp
Oil  --- 1 tab sp
Mustard seeds  --- 1/2 tea sp
Cumin seeds  --- 1/4 tea sp
Fenugreek seeds --  10 seeds
Curry leaves -- 1 spring
METHOD:---
1. Soak tamarind in warm water for 10 minutes and extract juice with 1/2 cup water or if you are using paste then dilute with 1 cup water and set a side.
2. Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds let them splutter then add cumin seed, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, then add finely chopped onions and fry till onion turns in to light brown.
3. Add chopped tomato, salt to taste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and cook till oil separates from the masala.
4. Now add tamarind water and 1 cup of plain water, bring to a full boil now reduce the heat in to low flame and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. After 15 minutes add steamed masala vadas to the tamarind gravy cover and cook in a low heat for 10 more minutes, by that time you can see the oil on the top of the gravy, now switch off the heat and leave it like that till you serve.
Serve with rice or with idly or with dosa or with curd rice.
My choice is with curd rice..
This Masala Vada Pulusu will taste wonderful next day with rice even with leftover rice with curd.
This is my first post for Blogging Marathon 30th edition under Dallying With Dumplings   theme let's check other BM members recipes here