Ingredients:

• 1 cup urad dal

• 1 tsp jeera (cumin) seeds

• 1/2 tbsp roughly ground pepper

• salt as per taste

• pinch of soda bi carb

• oil for frying

Method:

1. Clean, wash and soak the dal for 3-4 hours .

2. Grind the dal into a fine paste without adding any water.

3. Cover and keep it to rest for 2-3 hours.

4. Add salt, jeera and pepper in the dal and mix well in one direction only till it is light and fluffy and the batter colour changes to whitish. Add the soda bi carb just before frying the vadas.

5. Heat oil in a heavy bottom vessel or kadai.

6. With wet fingers take some dal and spread it to form a round ball.Make a hole in the center with your thumb and slowly drop the vada in hot oil.

7. Fry on medium to low flame on both sides till it is brown in colour.

8. Serve with sambar , red chilli coconut chutney or onion tomato chutney .

note: If the dal batter becomes thin or watery add 1-2 tsp of rice flour in it. The rice flour also makes the vada crispy.