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August 31, 2012

Keerai Vadai Recipe / Spinach Vada - Ponnanganni Keerai Recipes

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Keerai vadai
Recently when I went to my in-laws place, my MIL gave me lots of Ponnanganni keerai (Dwarf copperleaf / joyweed/ Sessile joyweed – pink variety. Generally known as water amaranth) grown in our garden.. I made sambar and kootu but still I had some left in my fridge. Its been a long time I am planning to make masala vada with spinach. So I tried this vada for first time.It was super cripsy , flavourful and yet soft inside.. We loved it.  My doter had 2 vadas. This shows the success of this recipe. 
keerai vada 3

INGREDIENTS
 1 cup - 200ml
  • Ponnanganni keerai / Any greens– 1/2 cup
  • Chana dal – 1/2 cup
  • Red chillies – 3-4 nos
  • Jeera - 1/2 tsp
  • Hing – 1/4 tsp
  • Small onion – 10-15 nos (chopped roughly)
  • Mint leaves – 1 handful
  • Coriander leaves – 1 handful
  • Curry leaves - few
  • Salt & water – as needed
  • Fennel seeds – 1 tsp (optional)
METHOD
  • Soak channa dal for 2 hours. Drain the water and grind along with red chillies,hing, salt &amp ,jeera and 2 tsp of water..
  • First run the chillies,salt and hing together.Then add the soaked channa dal and run once or twice.The dal should be coarsely ground.Some dal would be visible..
  • Wash and chop the greens finely..Set aside.
  • Mix the keerai , onions , mint leaves and coriander leaves,curry leaves in a  bowl and check for salt. No need to add water.
  • Heat oil in a deep frying pan and add a tbsp of hot oil to the vada batter. This helps in making the shape of vada properly and gives crispiness to the vada.
  • Mix the batter and take a small ball shaped batter.
  • Keep in the center of palm and pat it little to make thick patties.
  • Deep fry in hot oil. To check the right temperature of oil , just drop a bit of batter. It raises immediately..
  • Now drop the vadas one by one and cook in simmer flame for even cooking.
  • Flip the vadas after a few mins and cook on the other side.
  • Make in batches..Remove the vadas and serve hot !
Enjoy
with tea or with rice as an accompaniment like we had!!
keerai vadai 1

NOTE
  • If you are planning to make masala vada , just follow the same recipe except spinach.
  • Adding fennel seeds gives a nice flavour but I couldn't use as my hubby doesn’t like its taste..
  • I used pink variety keerai and I just ground the keerai once along with channa dal. So my vada was slighlty brownish yellow in color.
  • U can make this vada with any greens..The point is just chop it very finely..Mulai keerai, arai keerai , siru keerai , murungai keerai can be used here..
  • Usually we add channa, toor and urad dal for masala vada . We call tat as “MUPARUPPU VADA”..But my mom told me to make with channa dal alone.. Yes , adding channa dal alone gives a nice , crispy vadas..


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19 comments :

Menaga Sathia said...

கீரை வடை செய்து ரொம்ப நாளாச்சு..ஞாபகபடுத்திட்டீங்க,ரொம்ப நல்லாயிருக்கு.....

Chitra said...

Thanks menaga :)

chef and her kitchen said...

Nice n health vada..looks delicious

Vardhini said...

Tempting vadais.

virunthu unna vaanga said...

wow very tempting vada... i love it very much...
VIRUNTHU UNNA VAANGA

Unknown said...

Crispy Yummy vada..Today I too pasted spinach recipe chitra..

Vimitha Durai said...

Tempting n healthy keerai vadai

Divya A said...

My favorite :) Has come out so crisp and well dear :)

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Reshmi Mahesh said...

Crispy delicious vadai...Love to have with tea...

Shama Nagarajan said...

delicious tempting...

Reva said...

Vadai looks super yum..:)) Perfect with tea..
Reva

Srividhya Ravikumar said...

very nice dear...love the colour...

Priya Suresh said...

Super crispy vadais looks irresistible.

Kalyan said...

looks so healthy & delicious...mouthwatering!

divya said...

Wow... Looks delicious and very tempting dear :)

radha said...

This is like a nice spinach masala vada? Looks good.

Claire said...

I tried your spinach vada recipe yesterday and it was amazing!!!
My husband loved it!!
Thanks :)

Payal Singhal said...

Lipsmacking vadas...i love food from south india!

Chitra said...

Thanks for trying. Iam so glad u liked it :)