Begin typing your search...
A humble yet delectable treat
Vadai or vataka existed as plain lentil doughnuts. The inclusion of the banana flower, which is known for its nutritional properties and spices, changed it from the ordinary vadai to the extraordinary vazhaipoo vadai.
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
When you travel, you come across so many different experiences, be it in the form of food, culture or people. I always cherish the conversations I’ve had with people. An old uncle of mine, who was a chef, and used to make the most wonderful sweets and savouries for weddings and special occasions, would narrate to me in detail, the history behind them. Mysore pak and vazhaipoo vadai are my absolute favourites. Every time I decide to make one of these, I’m taken back to those conversations with my uncle.Â
The history of Mysore pak is as interesting as the dish and one has to know about it. The Maharaja of Mysore, Krishna Raja Wadiyar (1884-1940), was a great food connoisseur and maintained a vast kitchen which saw the creation of food from cuisines including European and Asian to Indian delicacies. Sweets and savouries had a special place and special chefs were appointed to execute it.Â
It was one of those days, when the reigning king was ready to have his lunch and demanded something special for dessert. His chief chef Madappa, having cooked everything, was scouting for ideas for the dessert. Chef Madappa began experimenting. He added gram flour (besan), ghee and sugar to make a syrup. By the time the King finished his lunch, the dish had cooled down to become a cake. The chef then served it hesitantly to the King. A delighted Krishna Raja Wadiyar demanded a second helping and asked what it was. Madappa called it ‘Mysore Paka’. Paka in Kannada means sweet concoction. Thus was born one of the greatest sweets in south India. Mysore Pak.Â
In the similar way, vazhaipoo vadai, another south Indian specialty has its own story, and surprisingly a gentleman co-passenger, aware that I was a chef, started talking to me about it on a recent flight. We were discussing the vadai served on board and I explained to him that vadai is one thing which must be had hot and fresh. I told him the best vadai was the one made from vazhaipoo. He wasn’t familiar with it and I explained to him what it was and interspersed it with my uncle’s tales.
One of the earliest mentions of vadai can be found within a set of ancient Indian texts collectively known as the Dharmasastra, in which the snack is referred to as vataka.
During the rule of Krishnadevaraya, in the 15th century, food got a lot of prominence. Bags of gold were gifted to honour new discoveries and creations, and the cooks were inspired to do their best. One such cook was Narasimha Raya, the second cousin of the King who had always shown more interest in the kitchen than the battlefield and hence, was a mark of dishonour to the great family name, till he created the vazhaipoo vadai.Â
Vadai or vataka existed as plain lentil doughnuts. The inclusion of the banana flower, which is known for its nutritional properties and spices, changed it from the ordinary vadai to the extraordinary vazhaipoo vadai.Â
Therefore, today I’m sharing the recipe of this south Indian favourite that is also best had with a cup of tea on a beautiful rainy day.Â
VAZHAIPOO VADAI
- PREPARATION TIME 25 mins
- COOKING TIME 20 mins
- CALORIES PER VADAI 310
- SERVES 2-4
INGREDIENTS
Bengal gram: 1/4 cupÂ
Tur dal: 1/4 cupÂ
Green chillies: 3Â
Red chillies: 2Â
Tender banana flowers cleaned and soaked in buttermilk: 1 big cupÂ
Drumstick leaves chopped: 1/3 cupÂ
Fennel seeds: 1 tspÂ
Hing (Asafoetida): 1/4 tspÂ
Fried gram dal: 2 tspÂ
Cumin roasted and powdered: 1/2 tspÂ
Salt as needed Onion: 1 big sizeÂ
Coriander leaves: 2 tbsp finely choppedÂ
Tender Curry leaves: A few
METHOD
- Wash and soak Bengal gram dal (channa dal) and tur dal together for two hours.
- Take tender banana flowers alone, chop it and keep in diluted buttermilk until use to prevent discolouration.
- After 2 hours, drain the water completely from the dal, add green chillies, red chillies, fennel seeds, chutney kadalai (pottukadalai), salt as needed and grind it for 2-3 seconds.
- Then add the tender chopped banana flowers (drain all the buttermilk and then add), drum stick leaves and grind it coarsely.
- Do not operate the mixer at a stretch. Grind it for 3-4 seconds, leave a gap of 3 seconds and then grind again.
- Add cumin powder and mix all.
- If you grind it at a stretch, it will become a smooth paste which we do not want. The vazhaipoo vadai batter should be slightly coarse.
- Taste the batter to check for salt.
- Now add finely chopped onions, 2 tbsp of finely chopped coriander leaves and few tender curry leaves. Mix everything well.
- Take a lemon-sized ball of the batter, flatten it with your hands and form into a disc.
- Heat oil in a kadai (to check if the oil is hot enough, add a little batter, if it raises to the surface immediately, the oil is ready for frying).
- Once the oil is hot, reduce the temperature to medium. Drop the prepared discs/patties into the oil gently. Fry both sides until brown.
- Remove from oil and place on a paper towel or colander to drain excess oil. You can fry 4-5 patties depending on the quantity of oil used.
- Repeat the same process for the rest of the batter. Yummy vadai is ready to be devoured.
KITCHEN TIPS:
- While boiling potatoes with skin, make a round cut in the centre.Â
- You will be surprised to see that after boiling, you will just need to pull the skin from both the edges. It will come off seamlessly.
— The writer is a chef and author of Festive Offerings to the Gods
Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!
Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!
Click here for iOS
Click here for Android
Next Story
