Parippu Vada ~ Dal Fritters from Kerala !

Today's recipe is real real nostalgia.Which can bring back the smell of rain,the damp corridors and warmth of steaming hot tea.The pretty home-made parippuvadas my father preserve as sunday surprise.The crispy and hot parippuvadas Ouseph chettan's tea shop comes up with.The divine aroma of coconut oil wafting around our village theatre premises.Those long-awaited intervals of movie when my father brings yummy parippuvadas wrapped in a newspaper sheet.Finally, the forsaken news paper bits soaked in coconut oil...Can we freeze time ? I long often for that too.Those moments I crave for something to relax.What if few crispy home made parippu vadas and hot  tea ?

Before going to the recipe,I would like to thank Julie for giving me this wonderful surprise.Thank you so much Julie..

Ingredients (yields 14 )

1 heaped cup of chana dal / gram dal
1 dry red chilly
handful of shallots,chopped finely
1 piece of ginger,chopped finely(approx 1.5 tsp)
3 green chillies,chopped finely
2 sprig curry leaves,chopped finely
1/4 tsp fennel seeds/perumjeerakam
pinch of asafoetida powder/kayappodi
salt,oil as required.

Method

Wash and soak chana dal along with dry chilly in normal water for two hours.Shift the soaked dal using your hands to mixer jar.You don't have to drain it in a strainer.Grind it just rotating two-three times.Use a spoon to mix well.This will be a coarse mixture.Shift it into a plate and mix in all the chopped ingredients, asafoetida,fennel seeds and salt.Make small balls with your hand.Heat oil in a kadai or pan till the pinch of mixture you put into it comes up fast.Now fix the heat to medium low.Wet your hands and press each balls slowly to put in the hot oil.Fry till brown and crispy.Serve hot with tea/coffee.You may serve with chammanthi/chutney as well.