Sepu Vadi
fried urad dal dumplings soaked soft in a spinach and yogurt gravy, the dish that marks a proper kangra dham
Start the day before. The soaking alone is 5 hr, against 75 min of actual work.
Allergens in Sepu Vadi: milk.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 250g split skinned, soaked 5 hours Urad Dal
- 400g, washed and roughly chopped Spinach
- 300g, whisked smooth Yogurt
- 2 tbsp Besanthickens the gravy and holds the yogurt together
- 3 tbsp Ghee
- 500ml, for deep frying Neutral Oil
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Asafoetidause compounded-free hing to keep this gluten-free
- 3, chopped Green Chilli
- 2cm, grated Ginger
- 2 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli
- 1 tsp Fennel Powder
- 1 tsp Dry Ginger Powder
- 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
- 2 tbsp Coriander Leavesoptional
- to taste Salt
- 400ml Water
Cookware
stovetop, kadhai, blender
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Soak the urad dal 5 hours. Drain it thoroughly - wet dal grinds into a batter that will not hold a shape.
- Grind the dal with as little water as possible, then beat it by hand for 4 to 5 minutes until a spoonful floats in a glass of water. This aeration is what makes the vadis light.
- Bring the yogurt to room temperature and whisk it with the besan so the gravy will not split.
Method
- Grind the drained urad dal to a thick, coarse paste with the green chillies and grated ginger, using no more than 3 tbsp water.Coarse, not silky. Sepu vadi should have a little bite left in it.
- Beat the paste vigorously for 4 to 5 minutes with salt until it lightens in colour and passes the float test.
- Heat the frying oil to 170C. Drop in flat spoonfuls of the batter, four or five at a time, and fry 4 to 5 minutes until deep gold and firm. Drain on paper.Too hot and the outside browns while the inside stays raw batter. A dropped bit should rise steadily, not violently.
- Cut each fried vadi in half through its thickness. This is what lets it drink up the gravy.
- Boil the spinach in 200ml water for 4 minutes, then blend it to a smooth green puree with its liquid.
- Heat the ghee in a kadhai, crackle the cumin, add the asafoetida and take the pan off the heat for a minute to cool.
- On the lowest flame pour in the yogurt-besan mixture and stir continuously for 8 minutes until it thickens and stops smelling raw.One direction, no stopping, low heat. If it splits there is no fixing it.
- Stir in the coriander powder, turmeric, kashmiri chilli, fennel and dry ginger, then the spinach puree and 200ml water. Season and simmer 8 minutes.
- Slide in the halved vadis, cover and simmer very gently 10 minutes until they swell and turn spongy but still hold together.Stir as little as possible now - a soaked vadi falls apart if you push it around.
- Finish with garam masala and coriander leaves and rest 5 minutes before serving with rice.
Storage
Best the day it is made, while the vadis still have some structure. Keeps 2 days refrigerated; reheat covered on the lowest flame with a little water, without stirring.
Nutrition Good estimate
One serving of Sepu Vadi (389 g) is about 569 calories, or 147 calories per 100 g.
High protein: 22 g a serving, 15% of the calories
| Per serving389 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 569 kcal | 147 kcal |
| Protein | 21.7 g | 6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 54.1 g | 14 g |
| of which sugars | 6.4 g | 2 g |
| Fibre | 14.5 g | 4 g |
| Fat | 31.8 g | 8 g |
| of which saturated | 9.7 g | 2 g |
| of which unsaturated | 20.2 g | 5 g |
Ingredients given to taste count as zero, so the real figures run a little higher. Nearest database match used for asafoetida, garam masala, urad dal. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Vegetarian Indian recipes · Gluten-free Indian recipes · No onion no garlic recipes · Pahari recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.