Madras Vadakari with Set Dosai. Vada Curry.

This is quite famous Madras recipe. Unlike usual Dosa, this Dosa looks like ‘Utthappam or Kaldosai’. That is thick and fluffy with deep yellow in color. Generally it is served in the count of two. Maybe……that is why, it is called ‘set dosa’. Anyway……though the dosa, on the whole tastes just like the usual one. The cuury served here…..makes it differant and unique. Well…..in some places, they use leftover vadas to make this curry/korma. But ‘vadakari’ is something, should be prepared in a following way. So……here it goes!

Ingredients: (For Set Dosa)

Raw Rice – 1 cup
Par-boiled rice – 1 cup
Urad dal 1/2 cup
Cold Cooked rice 1 fistfull
Turmeric powder/kesar color – 1 spoon
Castor oil 1 spoon
Sesame oil 1 spoon
Baking powder 1/2 spoon
Salt as per taste

Method:

Soak raw rice + parboiled rice + urad dal for complete 5-7 hours.

Wet grind it to thick paste. Add allt he above remaining items to it. Mix thoroughly and leave it to ferment. Maybe overnight/7-10 hours.

Heat a griddle/tawa. Smear spoonful of ghee and make a thick pancake/kal dosai/thick utthappam. That is….dosa should be thick.(Unlike paper roast/thin dosas) Make medium size dosa….the thickness should be atleast 1/2 inch. Cover and cook over low-medium heat. Just do it one side. While you cook with cover, the other side will be automatically done.

Prepare atleast 2 dosas for each plate.

Ingredients: (For Vadakari)
For Vadas:

Chana dal 1 cup
Fennel seeds 2 spoons
Ginger 2″ inch peeled and choped
Garlic 6 cloves peeled and chopped
Green chilies 3chopped
Clove 1
Cinnamon 1
Oil for Frying.(Or one can even steam cook vadas here)

For Curry:

Oil/ghee few spoons
Cinnamon sticks 2
Cloves 2
Bay leaves 2
Fennel seeds 1 spoon
Green chilies 3 sliced
Onion 2 thinly sliced
Garlic 6 cloves sliced
Ginger-garlic paste 1 spoon
Tomatoes 2 sliced
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Garam masala powder 1/2 spoon
Fresh coconut milk 1 cup
Mint leaves few
Coriander leaves few.

Method:

Vada:

Soak chana dal in water for atleast 20-30 minutes.

In a blender, dry grind fennel seeds, cinnamon, cloves and salt togather. To the same add ginger, garlic and green chilies, wet grind it. Again, to the same add soaked chana dal and wet grind it to thick paste. Dont add further water.

Now make small ‘vada’ like balls out of this paste. Maybe dont make it neat or smooth finish. Let it be in ‘unshape’ just like small pakodas.

Now either fry them in oil and store over kitchen tissues. Or try to steam cook the vadas. Maybe smear oil in the steam cooker’s plates. Then load the vadas. Steam cook for 10 minutes. But fried vadas tastes better…..if u are diet conscious, its nothing wrong to steam cook here.

Curry:

Well…..heat ghee or oil in a large wok. Add fennel seeds, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves to it.

Followed by, add sliced green chilies, garlic and sliced onions. Saute it for few minutes. Maybe till onions turn to golden color.

Now add ginger-garlic paste and fry for few more minutes….till its raw smell leaves.

Then add tomates and saute for few more minutes. Further add salt, turmeric, chili and garam masal powder to it. Add 2-4 cups of water, cover and cook over medium heat.

When gravy like consistency is acheived, add coconut milk and cook for 5 minutes.

Garnish the gravy with mint and coriander leaves.

Vadakari:

Smash the fried/steam cooked vadas. Remove the excess oil from vadas before smashing. One can even soak them in warm water for 2-5 minutes before dropping in gravy.

Add this smashed vadas to the gravy prepared. Let it get well incorporated. One can cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Dont panic….if the vadas really disintegrated in gravy. Let the gravy consolidate without any runny consistency fluid.

Well….serve this curry along with set dosas.

It can be served along with even fluffy idlies or other kaldosai/uthappam. Serve hot.