Spinach (Keerai ) Vada

There was a bunch of spinach in the refrigerator.  V has been cooking quite often recently and I have been happily staying out of the kitchen, but today it was amicably decided that I would prepare lunch. So I was gently reminded of the wilting spinach. Why not some palak dal ?  Yes, why not.  But, I had bookmarked this recipe from Shanthi Krishnakumar's site.  The vada had palak and it looked nice and crisp and I was in the mood to try out something different.  This was a cross between the regular masala vada and the medhu vada and to me it tasted better than both.

Ingredients:

Whole urad dal - 1/2 cup  ( I did not have it, so I used the split dal)
Bengal gram dal ( channa dal ) - 1/2 cup
Split urad dal - a fistful
Spinach - 1 cup - washed and chopped
Red chilies - 2 nos
Green chilies - 2 nos - chopped
Cumin seeds ( jeera) 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Salt - to taste
Oil for deep frying

Soak the whole urad dal and bengal gram dal for half hour
Soak the split urad dal for about an hour

Drain the dals well and keep

Keep the chopped spinach ready.  Also chop the curry leaves and green chilies and keep together

Grind the whole urad dal, bengal gram dal, red chilies to a coarse paste with very little water

Put ground mixture in a bowl.  Add the chopped spinach, green chilies, curry leaves to it.  Add cumin seeds, salt to taste.  And the soaked and drained split urad dal.  Mix together.

Heat the oil for deep frying.  Should not be very hot.

Make a small ball of the batter and flatten it to 1/2 " thickness make a hole in the centre and then slowly slide it into the oil.  Keep till golden brown on both sides.  Remove with spatula, drain the oil and then place on a tissue paper.

Serve with chutney.

( The vadas can be flattened as much as you possibly can before you place in hot oil for a crisper product )