Chennai Saidapet Vadacurry Recipe - Vadacurry steamed version - Low Calorie Vadakari

Vadacurry is one of the popular and spicy side dish recipes of Tamil Nadu, which is an important menu served for Breakfast in most of the hotels in Chennai. This is made using Bengal gram dal mixed with various spices which gives a nice aroma and exotic taste. Here in this recipe instead of frying the bondas in oil we are going to steam cook. People who are diet conscious and also for old people this steamed vadakari is really a great idea. This is my all time favorite south Indian Curry which is usually prepared by Vegetarians during Diwali. Try this Steamed Vadacurry Gravy and enjoy with your family.

Ingredients for making Vada 

Channa dal - 1 cup
Onion - 2 nos.
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp.
Red chilli - 4
A small piece of ginger
A sprig of curry leaves
Salt to taste
Oil to fry


Ingredients for making the curry for Vadacurry

Onion - 3
Tomatoes - 3
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp.
Cloves - 4 nos.
Cinnamon stick - 1 small piece
Cashewnuts - 8 - 10 nos.
Green peas - 1/2 cup
A pinch of Turmeric powder
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Finely chopped Ginger - 1 tsp.
Finely chopped Garlic - 8 -10
Green chillies - 2
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp.
Coriander Powder - 2 tbsp.
Milk extracted from coconut - 1/2 cup (optional)
Coriander leaves for garnishing
Few Mint leaves
A sprig of curry leaves
Oil as required
salt to taste

How to prepare South Indian Gravy recipe VadaKari

1. Soak the Channa dal in water for 1 hour and then grind coarsely along with red chillies,fennel seeds and salt. Sprinkle water if required.

2. Add little amount of finely chopped onions, curry leaves to the above mixture and then prepare small vadas or you can also make small balls just like bondas and steam cook in idli cooker for 10 minutes.

Vadacurry

3. Heat oil in a kadai, fry the fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamom sticks, cashewsnuts. Add the chopped onions, ginger, garlic and  curry leaves and Saute this till the onions become light brown in colour.

4. Next add the chopped tomatoes, green chillies and saute well till it becomes juicy.

5. Add the green peas and mint leaves. Saute well.

6. Now add all the masala powders one by one with the required amount of salt. Add 1 cup of water

and cook in a medium flame for 10 minutes. Close the kadai with a lid so that the vadacurry is cooked quickly.

7. Now add the crushed balls to the curry and stir well so that everything gets blended well.

8. At this stage add the coconut milk and allow this to boil for 3 minutes in low flame.

Garnish this with coriander leaves and seve hot with idlis and dosas.