Enjoy the rains with crisp vadas

Here are a few healthy ingredients that can go into making your vada

The weather is just right to bite into a crispy vada with an accompaniment of spicy chutney and maybe ketchup too. While we munch on these delicacies, why not look at consuming something healthy. Metrolife speaks to Padma Venkatesh, nutrition and wellness coach, and gets her to share recipes of the snack with nutritional benefits.

Paneer Masala Vada

Ingredients

Finely chopped paneer (100g)

2 to 3 tablespoons rice flour

1 cup channa (Black gram)

1 tablespoon red chilli powder

1 cup onion (optional)

½ cup finely chopped coriander leaves

¼ cup chopped curry leaves

1-inch finely grated ginger

Oil and salt as per requirements

Method

Soak the black gram or channa in water for two hours. Drain and grind it into a stiff paste. Mix rice flour, paneer, chilli powder, onion, coriander leaves, curry leaves, ginger, and salt.

Blend the ingredients well, make a small ball-shaped solid mixture of them, and flatten them to a thickness of around 1.5 cm. Take each pressed mixture and fry two or three of them at a time in a pan with oil till their colours turn golden brown. Place the fried Paneer masala vada on the absorbent paper. The dish is ready to be served with pudina or coconut chutney or even sauce.

(Nutrients: Carbohydrates: 44 calories, Protein: 10 calories, Fat: 14 calories, and Fibre: 2 calories)

Sabudana Vada

Ingredients

1 cup sabudana

2 potatoes

¼ cup roasted semi blended peanut powder

1 teaspoon jeera

4 to 5 green chilli

1/2 cup finely chopped coriander leaves

Oil and salt as per requirements

Method

Soak Sabudana for an hour. Remove the excess water and keep the dried Sabudana separately. Boil two potatoes, peal out the skin and mash the pulp. Mix roasted peanut powder, jeera, green chilli, coriander leaves, and salt along with the Sabudana till the mixture becomes a dough. Make a small ball-shaped solid mixture of them, and flatten them to a thickness of around 1.5 cm. Take each pressed mixture and deep fry two or three at a time in a pan with oil till their colours turn golden yellow. Place the fried Sabudana vada on the absorbent paper. Serve with Pudina chutney or curd.

(Nutrients: Carbohydrates: 51 calories, Protein: 7 calories, Fat: 40 calories, and Fibre: 2 calories)

Moong or Green gram Vada

Ingredients

1 cup whole green gram

2 teaspoon rice flour

1 teaspoon ginger

4 to 5 green chilli

Chopped coriander leaves

4 to 5 chopped curry leaves

Salt and oil as per requirements

Method

Keep the green gram soaked in water for 7 to 8 hours mostly overnight. Remove the excess water and keep the green gram separately. Add salt, ginger, green chilli, and green gram to make it into a coarse thick paste. No water should be added while making the paste. Add rice flour, chopped coriander, and curry leaves to the paste made and mix them well. Make a small ball-shaped solid mixture of them, and flatten them to a thickness of around 1.5 cm. Take each pressed mixture and shallow or deep fry two or three at a time in a pan with oil till their colours turn golden brown. Place the fried Moong or green gram vada on the absorbent paper. The dish is ready to be served with tomato sauce.

(Nutrients: Carbohydrates: 50 calories, Protein: 15 calories, Fat: 30 calories, and Fibre: 5 calories)