Vadacurry

Vadacurry is a tamilnadu famous  spicy accompaniment for Idli or dosa, its basically made of onion , garlic curry with deep fried lentil dumplings or say masala vadai sunken in onion -garlic sauce.Though the original version has no tomato, I have used one.
 Last week we had heavy downpour with howling and whistling cyclonic winds , and many lot their belongings and left without  power for many days with water surrounding their home, we were lucky to have power and water. I decided to make something spicy for the accompaniment for idli, then I decided to make vadacurry (with less spicy ) , was happy as my  kids liked it.
                                 

                                   

Ingredients :
 For Vada

   1 cup of channa dal
   1 inch of ginger
   2 garlic pods
   1/2 big onion chopped
   2 red chilli(can be more or less according to your taste)
  1 tsp of saunf/fennel
  Oil for frying vada

For Curry
 1 tbsp of oil
 1 onion
 2 tsp of ginger-garlic paste
 1 tsp of fennel
  1 bay leaves
 1/2 tomato
 2 green chilli
 3 sprigs of corriander leaves


 Grinding
 1 onion
 2 garlic
 1 tbsp of fried gram
 1/2 tsp of poppy seeds
 1/4 inch cinnamon stick
 2 cloves
 1 red chilli
 2 sprigs of curry leaves

Method:

• For Vada
• Soak channa dal for 2 hours.
• Drain water from channa dal. Combine in blender chopped onion, garlic, dal, ginger,salt and chilli
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• Grind it to coarse without adding much water.
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• Heat oil in tava,  make patties of the lentil mixture or jut drop small balls.
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• Fry until brown.

   For curry:
   

•    First dry roast the ingredients given in grinding column,Heat tava add fried gram, roast brown, don't burn it.
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• Tip in poppy seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, chilli,curry leaves roast it and lastly roast onion and garlic and grind it to a smooth paste.  
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• In the same tava heat oil , add   bay leaves, fennel seeds,
  
  
  chopped onion cook until translucent, add ginger-garlic paste and slit green chilli.
• Add chopped tomato, cook until tomato becomes soft.
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• Add in the grinded paste, stir it, cook well with closed lid, for minute or two .
• By now the gravy would have become thicker add 1/4 cup water (or 3 tbsp of water or as essential to loosen the gravy), add salt and stir it well.
• Tip in the vada 's to the gravy and cook for a minute.
• Garnish with chopped coriander.
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• Serve with idlis, dosa.