Parippu vada (masala vada) - Lentil patties deep fried until crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Soaked lentils are lightly mashed and then shaped into patties with onions, ginger, chilies and curry leaves. Perfect to enjoy as a light snack.
The name of this recipe literally translates to lentil cakes or lentil patties. The simplest way to enjoy a very traditional South Indian snack in its authentic form. I know, it’s a very basic and simple recipe. But so delicious you won’t be able to resist them.
The key to this recipe are the lentils. Although chana dal (split chickpeas) is my preferred choice, toor dal (split pigeon peas) also works really well in this parippuvada. You’ll need to soak the lentils for about 3-4 hours so they will become soft. Then we’ll grind them lightly. The idea is to make small patties out of the mixture without any extra addition of binding agents.
Once you grind lentils, add in all the other ingredients like onions, ginger, chilies and curry leaves. Chop them finely so it’ll be easier to shape the patties. Add more or less chilies depending on your taste. If you’re not a fan of chilies, feel free to leave them out. Curry leaves add that authentic taste to parippuvada. So I highly recommend adding a few chopped leaves to the patties.
Now all you need to do is deep fry them until golden perfection. So simple. So perfect. Incredibly delicious. I love them with a hot cup of tea.
More Kerala Snacks Recipes
- Uzhunnu Vada / Urad Dal Vada
- Sukhiyan | Battered Sweetened Green Gram
- Kerala Banana Chips
- Unniyappams |Fried Rice Cakes Using Jaggery
- Kerala Banana Fritters |Pazham Pori | Ethakka Appam
- Kozhukkatta | Kerala Rice Dumplings
Parippu Vada | Masala Vada| South Indian Lentil Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup chana dal split chickpeas, soaked for 2-3 hours
- ½ cup onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon green chilies finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 sprig of curry leaves coarsely chopped
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Grind dal to a very coarse paste. Make a small ball out of the mixture to check whether it's coming together. If not, grind again.
- Now add in the other ingredients and mix well.
- Meanwhile heat oil in a deep bottomed pan. Make small lemon sized balls out of the mixture. Flatten them slightly. Deep fry in very hot oil. Serve hot.
Video
Nutrition
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john says
Should this recipe call for dried lentils rather than chick peas because the are lentil cakes?
Rose Mary George says
This is actually a South Indian snack made with split chickpeas (chana dal). For ease of understanding, I've described them as 'lentil cakes', since chickpeas belong to the broader lentil/pulse family.