English: A festive savoury, dal vada (lentil fritters) with spinach and cilantro.

Palakura Kothimeera Minapa Garelu.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Urad Dal (Minappappu /Black Gram)
• 1 cup tightly packed chopped spinach
• 1 inch ginger root
• Green chillies
• Cilantro
• Cumin seeds
• Oil for frying

How to:

• Soak Urad dal for about 4 hours in water
• Once soaked grind the batter to a paste( need not be very smooth, and do not add too much water, just add enough to grind )
• Heat oil for deep frying.
• To the urad dal batter( lentil batter ) add cumin seeds, chopped ginger, chopped spinach, chopped onions, cilantro and salt to taste.
• Drop into oil with a spoon or to make traditional vada( vadai ), use your palms this way. Take a small amount of batter in a ball shape, flatten lightly with fingers and drop it very gently into oil from the edges of the pan.
• My ammamma makes them in a very perfect shape and she dips her hands into water before making each vadai, and this needs of course some experience. Don't panic if you cant get vadas perfectly, its hard for me too to get them in perfect shape and size.
• Fry these vadas on both sides and drain on to paper napkins to remove any excess oil.