Vada Kari Recipe - South Indian Lentil Curry

Ingredients:

* Channa dal : 1 cup
* Onion : 3
* Tomatoes : 2
* Whole red chili : 4 (Depends on individuals taste buds)
* Ginger and garlic paste : 1 tsp each
* Turmeric Powder : 1 tsp
* Coriander powder : 1/2 tbsp
* Red chili powder : 2 tbsp
* Coconut milk : 1/4 cup (for extra taste)
* Curry Leaves : handful
* Bay leaves : 2
* Cloves : 3
* Cinnamon sticks : 1 small
* Mint leaves : 1 tsp ( chopped)
* Coriander leaves : 1 tsp(chopped)
* Fennel seeds : 1tsp
* Salt : for taste

Seasoning:

* Oil : 2tsp
* Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
* Fennel seeds : 1 tsp
* Cinnamon stick : 1/4 inch
* Curry leaves : handful

Method of preparation :

1. Soak Channa dal for 3 to 4 hours and grind them coarsely with fennel seeds and red chilies into a thick coarse paste. This way we should be able to make vada balls out of the paste.
2. Add finely chopped onion and curry leaves into the coarse paste, make small vadas (small sized balls) out of it and fry it in oil. Deep frying is not required for the vadas.
3. Heat oil in a kadai/pan, add cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, chopped onions and sautee it for few minutes till the onions become translucent.
4. Add ginger & garlic paste and fry them until the raw smell goes off.
5. Add chopped tomatoes with coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, a glass of water and little salt. Then mix it all together and let it cook for 5 to 10 minutes under closed lid.
6. When its come to a full boil and cooked well, crush the fried vadas with your hands and add it into the gravy.
7. Add mint leaves and a table spoon of coriander leaves, close the lid and let it cook for another 5 minutes in medium heat.
8. Finally add coconut milk and boil it for another 3 minutes and remove from heat.
9. Heat oil in a pan, add the seasonings and when its sputter remove it from heat and put it into the curry as garnish.