Parippu Vadai (පරිප්පු වඩේ) - Recipe

Nothing brings back fond memories when indulging in this tasty street food. Any time we visited the Galle Face green as kids, travelling by train or bus on long distance journeys, vendors shouting වඩේ වඩේ, and the first bite of the crispy lentil fritter, sometimes garnished with a prawn, was pure bliss. Since this is not something commonly available in Canada, I researched a bit on how they were made, made a few adjustments, and Voila!.. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup කඩල පරිප්පු / Split Pea/chana dhal soaked for 6hrs
• ¾ cups Red Onions chopped
• ½ tbs Ginger minced
• 1 tbs Green Chilli minced
• 2 tbs Curry Leaves thinly sliced
• ½ tsp Chili Flakes
• ½ tsp Salt
• Oil to fry

Method:

• Wash and soak the dhal at least for 6hrs. Drain well, then grind in a food processor without adding water. Don’t completely grind to a paste, leave some broken bits and the rest ground well, so it’ll help with forming the fritters.
• Mix in the rest of the ingredients. The chopped onions, minced ginger, green chilli, thinly cut curry leaves, chilli flakes, and salt.
• Combine everything together well and start to shape them into small flat patties (do not make them thick, the middle might not cook properly, while the outside is burnt), a small bulge in the middle, tapering off to the edges.
• Heat the oil in a deep pan on medium heat. Make sure the oil is hot, fry the vada, a couple at a time until they turn to a golden colour. Do not overcook, the fritters will darken even after removing from the deep fryer
• Use a spider or a slotted spoon to take them out of the oil and place them on paper towels or a draining rack to drain the excess oil.
• Enjoy it with a cup of Ceylon ginger tea.

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