Vadai with coconut chutney

These moreish south Indian savoury doughnuts are fragrant with cumin, turmeric and ginger and make the perfect snack with drinks.

Vadai with coconut chutney Credit: Ben Dearnley

• makes

  20

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 200 g (1 cup) urad dhal*, soaked in cold water overnight
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 long green chillies, chopped
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 2 cm piece ginger, peeled, grated
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 45 g (¼ cup) rice flour
• vegetable oil, to deep-fry
• tomato and tamarind chutney (see Note), to serve

Coconut chutney

• 120 g (1 cup) grated fresh coconut
• 1 long green chilli, finely chopped
• 2 cm piece ginger, peeled, grated
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 10 curry leaves (see Note)
• 1 dried Kashmiri chilli (see Note), crumbled

Soaking time overnight

Instructions

To make coconut chutney, place coconut, chilli and ginger in a food processor with 2 tbsp water. Process to a rough paste. Transfer to a bowl. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add curry leaves and Kashmiri chilli and cook for 30 seconds or until curry leaves are crisp and fragrant. Pour over coconut chutney and set aside.

Drain urad dhal and place in a food processor. Process to a coarse paste, then add remaining ingredients, except oil, and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Fill a saucepan or deep-fryer one-third full with oil and heat to 170°C (or until a cube of bread turns golden in 15 seconds). Shape mixture into 20 x 4cm balls and flatten slightly. Press your thumb through the centre of each ball to create a doughnut.

Working in batches, carefully drop vadai into oil and cook, turning halfway, for 8 minutes or until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Scatter with salt. Serve hot with chutneys.

Note

• Urad dhal are split small black beans. When split, they are white in colour. Urad dhal and tomato and tamarind chutney are available from Indian food shops.

• Curry leaves are available from select greengrocers and Asian food shops.

• Dried Kashmiri chillies are from Indian food shops and specialty spice shops. Substitute dried red chillies.

Photography by Ben Dearnley

As seen in Feast magazine, December/January 2014, Issue 38.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.