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Keerai Vadai | Keera Vada Recipe | Lentils and Spinach Vadai Recipe

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What better way to start a Monday than talk about deep fried snacks, particularly Keerai Vadai?
However, this recipe, like a few others, is going to begin with a disclaimer. I don’t claim that this is the authentic keerai vadai recipe that all Tamilians are probably proud of. I used what I had in the pantry and whatever took the fancy.
What I can guarantee is that its super simple and very crunchy. An ideal, quick tea-time snack.
Its also quite crazy in a way that you can customize all you want.
I used amaranth leaves / mulai keerai. I like the flavour and use it in pretty much all dishes that call for spinach / keerai.
This picture reminds me how long back I made this recipe.
My cutting board is not even close to its original colour that’s seen here!
I also used channa dal / kadala paruppu in this recipe although most vadai recipes call for toor dal or peas paruppu, which amma is what most South Indian restaurants use because its a much cheaper alternative to the expensive toor dal.
Soaked Channa Dal
I love the way it brings a smile on TH’s face when I talk deep frying. Something about dunking stuff into hot oil and then eating it makes that man happy. So happy that he even stood by patiently while I took 83 different angles of the following picture.
Lentil and Spinach Vadai / Keerai Vadai Recipe
Makes about 18-20
What I Used:
2 cups channa dal / kadala paruppu
1 bunch spinach leaves, tough stalks removed
1 onion, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1″ piece of ginger, grated or finely chopped
10-12 curry leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying
How I Made It:
1. Clean and soak the chana dal in water for an hour. Meanwhile, wash spinach and place in a pan over lot heat until the leaves wilt. Then, chop finely.
2. Once soaked, drain completely and pulse the dal in a mixer or food processor into a coarse paste. To give the vadai some texture, I keep about 1 tbsp dal aside and add it after pulsing the rest.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
4. Shape into lime-sized balls and flatten slightly. Deep fry in oil until golden brown. Drain and serve hot with chutney.
I haven’t posted the recipe for this chutney before so here goes:
For the Coconut Chutney:
Grind together 1/2 cup grated coconut (fresh or frozen but not dessicated), 1 green chilli, a small piece of tamarind, 2 shallots and salt with very little water. I also added some fresh coriander leaves to this but its optional. We love the flavour so if I have fresh coriander leaves, I always add them.
I make this chutney very often and it goes well with dosa, idly and even medhu vadai.
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  1. hi,
    just wanted to say your recipe for chicken thoran brought back memories of my grandmother(amomma)who used to make it for us kids when we were especially good-which was not very often! I think the real reason was because it was too expensive…
    Anyway, made it and fed it to the kids and hubby ( am vegetarian now) who loved it and took a happy trip down memory lane as I was making it… so thank you
    mini nair

    Reply

  2. This was really, really good. The mix looked like it might fall to bits so I added some besan (chick pea) flour until it looked like it would hold together……came out perfectly. So crispy on the outside and all held together well. We had it with mango chutney and yogurt as I didn't have time / ingredients to do the green chutney.
    Rachel, Australia

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  6. What a perfectly crispy and inviting vada!! Wish I stay next doors to you! First time here, am feeling bad to have missed your space for so long! Anyways, better late than never!! You have an awesome collection here.. Will be back often! 🙂

    Reply

  7. Its not just your TH, mine is willing to stand in front of the hot oil and fry for 30mins but will not spend 10mins chopping vegs. Never knew hotels used toor dal! Does using toor dal make it crisper or no? I have some spinach I think I am going to make this for the white girl 😛

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  10. Good post for Monday morning like you say! I'm sitting here with my coffee and actually salivating for this stuff – I need distractions in my life!

    I love the green chutney – perfect. And the banana leaf presenttion! Vadai looks delectable!

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  16. 83 different shots??? i had once managed to take 54 shots from various angles and figured its not too healthy for my back :-))
    Vadai looks yummy, love the last pic on a serving platter, looks very inviting!

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  18. You took 83 different angles of the picture? dang you must have a LOT of patience:)Never heard of spinach in a vadai-guess the greens take the guilt of the frying just a tad:) Gorgeous pics!

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  19. I love the second and the third pictures.. Do you always take all your pictures in natural light? What do u do on those days when you don't get enough natural light? Do you use the white balance feature in those cases?

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  23. Indhu, I use natural light as much as possible. In fact, almost all the pics in this blog are taken over the weekend. If I do try something over a weeknight and it turns out good, then I usually make it over the weekend so that the pics look nicer. That being said, if I absolutely have to take a pic in the night, then I switch on all the nights in the hall, switch on the TV, place the bowl somewhere in front of it and take shots from above. Its not ideal and doesn't turn out great pics but its ok for me once in a while. And yes, I do use white balance in those times, I turn it to tungsten.

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  25. Good post for Monday morning like you say! I'm sitting here with my coffee and actually salivating for this stuff – I need distractions in my life!

    I love the green chutney – perfect. And the banana leaf presenttion! Vadai looks delectable!

    Reply

  31. These look so good..Vadas are now so rarely made at home – I guess the spinach makes up for the deep frying – got a lot of spinach at home, will try this out, maybe for Pongal !

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  33. Its not just your TH, mine is willing to stand in front of the hot oil and fry for 30mins but will not spend 10mins chopping vegs. Never knew hotels used toor dal! Does using toor dal make it crisper or no? I have some spinach I think I am going to make this for the white girl 😛

    Reply

  35. What a perfectly crispy and inviting vada!! Wish I stay next doors to you! First time here, am feeling bad to have missed your space for so long! Anyways, better late than never!! You have an awesome collection here.. Will be back often! 🙂

    Reply

  43. SJ, actual keera vadai recipe uses toor dal. and hotels try to get around it by using cheaper peas dal (it could be the ones in Kerala only, not sure, cuz amma told me this story). channa dal makes it crisp too, so go ahead and amaze the white girl I say 😀

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