Parippu vada

Ingredients 

1. Gram dal - 1 cups
2. Green chilli - 3
3. Shallot - 15
4. Ginger - 2 tsp
5. Curry leaves - 3-4 stems
6. Kayam (asafoetida) - 1/4 tsp
7. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
8. Salt
9. Oil

Procedure

1. Cut green chilli coarsely.
2. Cut ginger coarsely.
3. Peel shallots.
4. Pulse shallots, ginger, green chilli coarsely using a mixie.
5. Soak the dal in water for two hours.
6. Keep 2 tsp of dal aside.
7. Grind the dal in mixie very coarsely. It should not be ground smoothly.
8. Mix the ground dal, the pulsed mixture, red chilli powder, asafoetida, curry leaves and salt.
9. Also, mix the dal kept aside to this mixture.
10. Make small balls of gooseberry size out of this combined mixture.
11. Heat oil in a deep pan.
12. Take each ball in your left hand and gently flatten it by pressing it. 
13. When the oil is very hot, gently drop the ball into the oil.
14. Flip the vada to the other side, so that both sides are browned.
15. Drain excess oil by placing the vada in a kitchen tissue.
16. Yummy hot parippu vada is ready to be served with hot tea.

Note:

1. Drop the vada batter into oil only when the oil is very hot. Else, it will break.
2. Instead of gram dal, half glass of chana and tur dal each can be used.