beetroot vadai recipe | beetroot masala vada | chettinad beetroot lentil fritters with detailed photo and video recipe. an iconic deep fried snack from the popular tamil cuisine made with beetroot grate and soaked lentil. the recipe is heavily practised in the southern state of tamilnadu, particularly in chettinad, but widely known in other states too. the texture and taste are very similar to the lentil made masala vada, but has all the goodness of beetroot into this vada as an additional taste factor.
i have posted several vadai recipes till now, and most of them have a similar savoury taste for it. however, this recipe of beetroot vadai recipe is very unique compared to the others. it offers a combination of sweetness from the beetroot, savoury from the vada masala and also tenderness from beetroot grate. well, some may argue that vadai recipes should be crisp and brittle and avoid the tenderness. well to be honest even i had the same attitude with vada recipes. but things changed when i encountered this masala beetroot vada. i wasn’t sure initially, but the sweet and spice combination vada worked for me. i make these frequently not just as evening or morning snack, but also for my festival and celebration feast.
furthermore, i would also like to add some tips, suggestions and variations for a perfect beetroot vadai recipe. firstly, as the traditional vadai recipe, the lentil has to be soaked for a minimum of 2-3 hours. otherwise, you may not be able to ground it coarsely. also, do not add any water while grounding. secondly, with the addition of beetroot, you can also add other veggies like corn, carrot and also shallots. perhaps you can limit to beetroot if you wish to get just beetroot taste in your vadai recipe. lastly, you need to deep fry these in a low to medium flame so that the vada gets cooked evenly. in addition to it, deep fry these in small batches and do not overcrowd the vada’s.
finally, i request you to check my other detailed snacks recipes collection with this post of beetroot vadai recipe. it mainly includes similar recipes like, aloo paneer tikki, dal dhokla, corn vada, gulgula, suji snacks, batata vada, cabbage vada, vegetable nuggets, kat vada, paneer pav bhaji. further to these i would also like to highlight my other similar recipe categories like,
beetroot vadai video recipe:
recipe card for beetroot masala vada recipe:
beetroot vadai recipe | beetroot masala vada | chettinad beetroot lentil fritters
Ingredients
- ½ cup chana dal
- ½ cup toor dal
- 2 dried red chilli
- water, for soaking
- 1 cup beetroot, grated
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp coriander, finely chopped
- 2 chilli, finely chopped
- ½ tsp ginger paste
- few curry leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp cumin / jeera
- pinch hing / asafoetida
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp rice flour
- oil, for frying
Instructions
- firstly, in a large bowl take ½ cup chana dal, ½ cup toor dal and 2 dried red chilli.
- add enough water and soak for 2 hours.
- drain off the dal making sure the water is drained completely.
- now transfer the drained dal to the mixi and blend to a coarse paste. pulse and blend to have a coarse texture.
- add 1 cup beetroot, ½ onion, 3 tbsp coriander, 2 chilli, ½ tsp ginger paste, few curry leaves, 1 tsp cumin, pinch hing and ¾ tsp salt.
- squeeze and mix well until the dal is well combined with everything.
- make a soft dough adding 2 tbsp of rice flour if the mixture is watery.
- grease hands with oil and prepare small balls, flatten the vada.
- and deep fry in hot oil. or preheat and bake at 180 degree celcius for 25 minutes or until it turns golden and crisp.
- also, stir occasionally till until the dal vada turns golden and crisp.
- finally, serve beetroot vadai hot along with masala chai.
how to make beetroot vadai with step by step photo:
- firstly, in a large bowl take ½ cup chana dal, ½ cup toor dal and 2 dried red chilli.
- add enough water and soak for 2 hours.
- drain off the dal making sure the water is drained completely.
- now transfer the drained dal to the mixi and blend to a coarse paste. pulse and blend to have a coarse texture.
- add 1 cup beetroot, ½ onion, 3 tbsp coriander, 2 chilli, ½ tsp ginger paste, few curry leaves, 1 tsp cumin, pinch hing and ¾ tsp salt.
- squeeze and mix well until the dal is well combined with everything.
- make a soft dough adding 2 tbsp of rice flour if the mixture is watery.
- grease hands with oil and prepare small balls, flatten the vada.
- and deep fry in hot oil. or preheat and bake at 180 degree celcius for 25 minutes or until it turns golden and crisp.
- also, stir occasionally till until the dal vada turns golden and crisp.
- finally, serve beetroot vadai hot along with masala chai.
notes:
- firstly, make sure to squeeze off water from beetroot if there is excess juice.
- also, do not add water while grinding as the dough turns watery.
- additionally, fry on medium flame to get a crunchy bite and golden rich colour.
- finally, beetroot vadai recipe tastes great for 2 days when stored in an airtight container.