No-Fry Gujarati Dal Vada

1. Soak 1/2 cup chilka moong dal in water for 4 hours.

2. Rinse the dal with water until excessive skins are removed.

3. Place the dal in a mixing jar without adding any water.

4. Add 3 fresh green chillies.

5. Add some pieces of chopped ginger; garlic is optional.

6. Add salt as per taste.

7. Grind to a coarse mixture, ensuring some whole dal remains; add a spoonful of water if necessary to grind.

8. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and blend it with an electric blender for 10 minutes to aerate the batter; a hand blender can be used and may take 15-20 minutes.

9. After blending, the batter should be lighter and have a frothy texture; if it becomes runny, add some rice or gram flour.

10. Add some finely chopped coriander; black pepper powder is optional.

11. Heat up an Appam pan, put some oil in all cavities, and add batter to each cavity.

12. Cover with a lid and cook on slow to medium flame until golden-brown.

13. Open the lid, flip the vadas, cover again, and cook until done.

14. Serve hot with onion slices and sautéed green chillies.

Tips

1. Garlic and black pepper powder can be added for extra flavor if desired.

2. Adjust the batter consistency with rice or gram flour to prevent it from becoming too runny.