Vada Curry Recipe – Saidapetta Vada Curry – How to make Vada Curry – Tamil Nadu Vada Curry Recipe – Madras Mari Hotel Vada Curry – Chennai Special Vada Curry – Street Style Vada Curry – வடகறி செய்முறை – வடகறி செய்வது எப்படி – இட்லி தோசைக்கு அட்டகாசமான கையேந்திபவன் வடகறி #vadacurry #saidapettavadacurry #வடகறி
Vada Curry is a lentil curry dish from Tamil Nadu, often served as a side for Idli Dosa. We usually make it for breakfast… best with soft idlis and kal dosais. There are few different ways in which we do this dish, sometimes we kind of fry the vadai..before making the gravy. The other way is a healthy way where we steam the vadai and add it to the gravy… with or without garam masala… my MIL adds tons of mint leaves when making it… guess that’s how they make it at Pondy! Well, Saidapetta, Chennai is known for this dish.. especially Mari Hotel is very famous for its vada curry.
I tried my best to match that style and also have shared other variation and tips to make it more tasty.
Try some of similar lentil based gravies and curries
Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu
Pakoda Kurma – Chettinad Pakoda Kuzhambu
Masala Vadai Kuzhambu – How to make Vadai Kuzhambu
Vada Curry
Ingredients
To make Vada / Pakoda
- 1 cup Bengal Gram / Kadala paruppu / Chana dal soak for 3 hours
- 1/2 tap Cumin seeds
- 1 tsp Fennel seeds
- 2 small Green chilli
- 1/4 cup Onion finely minced, preferably chinna vengayam
- 1 tbsp Ginger crushed
- 1 tbsp Garlic crushed
- 1 tsp Salt
- 5 each Curry leaves chopped
- 2 cup Oil for deep frying
To Temper
- – 1/4 cup Oil
- – 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
- – 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds
- – 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
- – 4 leaves Curry leaves
- – 3 each Bay leaf
- – 3 small Cinnamon sticks
- – 6 Cloves
To Saute
- 1 cup Onion
- 1 cup Tomato
- 2 small Green Chili
- 1 tbsp Ginger crushed
- 1 tbsp Garlic crushed
- 1/4 cup Mint leaves
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp Coriander powder
- 1 tsp Red Chili powder
- 1.5 tsp Salt
- 2 cups Water or Light Coconut Milk **** Read notes
- 5 each Curry leaves
- 1/4 cup Coriander leaves for garnish
Instructions
To make Vadai / Pakora
- Wash and soak Bengal gram for at least 3 hours.
- Rinse and drain off all the water completely using a colander and transfer to a blender / mixie.
- Pulse along with green chili, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and salt to a coarse paste. Do not make a fine paste, just choose pulse mode in your blender to make a slightly coarse texture paste.
- Now mix finely minced onion, crushed ginger, garlic and chopped curry leaves. Mix to combine.
- Now choose to either steam the vadai or deep fry.
- To steam – Pinch a little of the mixture to shape into small pakora or shape them into vadai and place them in Idli moulds and steam for 10 minutes. Once done remove, gently crumble and set aside.
- To deep fry – Heat oil in a kadai, and pinch in little of the dough (like small pakodas) fry them over medium flame. We need fry them just enough to firm up the outer layer to a light golden color. Do not fry too long, pakoras have to be slightly crisp with light golden shade and soft interior.
- Finish all the mixture, fry the pakoras ands set aside.
To make gravy
- Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, curry leaves along with bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon.
- Saute onions and green chillies until lightly golden.
- Then add crushed ginger, garlic and fry along with onions for few minutes.
- Add in tomatoes and let it cook till it becomes mushy.
- Add few fresh mint leaves at this stage. This is is optional… but do to make it much more flavorful.
- Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. Saute well till the raw smell settles or until the oil separates.
- Add little water at this stage and bring it to a boil. Alternatively you may replace water with light coconut milk for added flavor.
- When the gravy starts to boil, add the steamed crumbled vadas or fried pakoras. Mix well and let it simmer until the vada absorbs the liquid from the gravy or until it thickens to the desired consistency. Switch off!
- Garnish with curry and coriander leaves.
- Serve hot with Idli or dosai.
Notes
- Vadas can be prepared in 3 different ways. Slightly deep fried or Shallow fried with little oil or Steamed.
- Left over masala vadai can also be scrambled to make this curry in hurry.
- Adding mint leaves gives super taste try it!
- You may use either green or red chilli while grinding.. gives a different flavor.
- You can replace water with light coconut milk or thick coconut paste for extra flavour. Coconut powder can also be used to flavor.
- Normal Chennai Style Vada curry includes just a little of the coconut milk or paste. Most street style vada curry does not include coconut milk nor coconut.
- Adding too much coconut milk will bring in a kurma texture to the gravy.
- Another way to bring in coconut flavor is to temper everything in coconut oil.
Comments
32 responses to “Vada Curry – Saidapetta Vada Curry”
I know this recipe. My native is near to Chennai. I am also prepared every 2 weeks I like this recipe.
Thanks ?Leela, glad you liked?
Oh! I grew up in Saidapet, when my mom is running late. I get to eat the yummy and fragranful vadakari from Mari hotel. Thanks for sharing something I am can relate to my childhood. Do you have their korma recipe for parotta please???
Ohhh, did i kindle all your childhood memories ? so happy to hear Sundari! Thanks for taking your time to comment, not exactly their kurma but have HSB style and other veg and non veg kurmas to try!
Hi, I’m not sure if you’d have heard about saidapet vadacurry and I’m from that place. As a saidapet native Mari hotel servers the best vadacurry in that geography and your recipe almost replicates that taste. I have tried today and it’s a super success. Thank you for the recipe
So happy to hear Gowri☺️?you made my day! Well, I have not tasted Mari hotel vadacurry….but this is how we make at home and I personally kind of like the fried version compared steamed? thanks dear Gowri for writing a feedback, really appreciate.
nice recipie
thanks for this mouthwatering recipe
Love this curry, yummy!
thanxs mullai for this xcellent recipe….i have had this vadacurry ,once in chennai ,long bk…n i was interested in trying it too ,but the deep frying part ,kept me away from it … i liked ur version of steaming the vadas…. n u have shown me a healthy as well as tasty curry. thanxs again….
Can we use left over vazhpoo vadai also for vada curry? will it taste good?
Hello abi! U can add vazhpoo vadai also. It will taste yummy 🙂
Hi mullai, tried vada curry for idly’s…cameout superb.
Have a great day
I tried out this recipe yesterday. It came out good. I didn’t know vada absorb so much of water. There wasnt much gravy left. Will try again. Thanks a lot for ur recipe.
hii mullai,
it was an excellent recipe …i prepared this recipe fr the first time to impress my wife when she was away.This was her favorite recipe…and this dish turned out to be a Super Duper Hit ! thank u !
Dear Mullai, New to the site. Excellent recipe. Brought back some child hood memories for my husband (who grew up in Chennai). In the recipe I added Perungayam(asfoetida) in the oil. Turned out really a great preparation! Thank you for sharing this recipe and keeping up the web site! Regards, Bina
Mullai, tried this yest’day. Superrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrra irunthathu. First time i made and tasted vada curry. super combination for idlis. Thanks a lot.
Steam cooked or deep fried??? Which one worked for you???
Deep fried Mullai. Thank u.
Mullai, want to try for weekend breakfast. can u please tell which one is tastier – deep fried or steamed. Thanks.
hi mullai…this recipe is gr8…came out very well
Hi mullai,
I read ur recipe,can we add,coconut mix in this recipe?
Hi Sheela,
Go ahead and add ground coconut, it adds great flavour to the dish, literally making it pakoda kurma.
http://www.spiceindiaonline.com/pakoda_kurma
Hi Mullai. Just tried the recipe. Came out good. The vadas came out little hard though I steamed only for 7 mins, but softened a bit once I put them into the gravy. I added little tamarind juice to make it little chatpata. Thanks once again for posting the recipe Mullai
Ranjani, glad you like it and hope you would try many more. Thanks and catch you soon.
Hi Mullai i tried this recepie it was really superb thanks a lot, now only i saw your website after that iam enjoying your recepie once agian thank u
SARATHA RAVI
HI MULLAI,
I tried this today for idly.. super pa..exact quanities used as per the recipe..it just came excellent pa!!!
i am waiting for my hubby to taste it..
he is going to have a surprise today!!!
thanks to u mullai
Thanks for the recipe Mullai .The first time i tried, it came a little dry (not saucy) . Next time , I sauted the onions , tomatoes and ground them and added it (Rest of the procedure as you said ) .. Came out good.
thanks for the recipe.
hi mullai thanx 4 ur recipe
hi mullai
Can i add water to make the gravy saucy?
Hi Rose, you can add little water, in case if it sticks to the bottom. Juicy tomatoes should work, if not no harm in adding water.