HOME        |        ABOUT        |        COPYRIGHT        |        CONTACT        |         RECIPE INDEX        |         INDIAN THAALIS        |         MILLET RECIPES        |        EVENTS' ROUNDUP        

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

A - Z Indian Street Foods ~ B for Bajra Vada

Fried fritters have been one of the popular street foods for generations in India. They are so much enjoyed by the folks here that they are made at any celebration meal at homes. They are considered a perfect companion to a cup of tea or coffee, especially on a rainy / chilly evening. They have a constant presence wherever street food is sold at any corner of the country. Bajji/bhajiya, pakoda/pakora, vada, bondas and once region specific snacks like samosa and kachoris are seen everywhere in the country ranging from a street vendor to a fancy restaurant. The first variety of fritters are usually either flour based (chickpea flour for pakoda and bajjis) or thickly ground lentil based or grain based.
My husband too had one of the fritters on his street foods’ wish list. They were the delicious sajja vadalu, made with the ground pearl millet or bajra grain and are popular in the state of Andhra. I had already had a dish prepared for the alphabet ‘S’ and so, I had to look for a regional variation and came across these bajri vadas that originated in Gujarat and popular in other states as well. For a flavorful version, fresh fenugreek greens / methi can be added as well to the recipe. These bajri vadas are thicker than the southern version and use pearl millet and wheat flours. These vadas make a great travel food since they stay good for a week or so when stored properly. They are crisp when made but turn softer later. They are spicy and make a delicious evening snack. 
Ingredients: (Yield 7 vadas)
1 cup pearl millet flour (bajra flour)
3 tbsp. wheat flour
2 tbsp. sesame seeds
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp. chili powder (or to taste)
1/4 tsp. cumin powder
1/4 tsp. coriander powder
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
2 tbsp. yogurt
2 tbsp. hot oil
1/2 tsp. grated ginger
1/2 tsp. green chili paste or 1 spicy green chili, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. garlic paste (I didn’t use.)
3 tbsp. finely minced cilantro
Oil to fry

Method:
* Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Next add all the other remaining ingredients except water and oil meant to be used to fry.
* Mix everything with hands. Add water in small increments and keep working the dough until firm dough is formed. (I used a little more than 3 tbsp. of water.)
* Allow the dough to rest for at least 30 minutes.
* Heat the oil in a kadai / deep pan to fry on medium flame.
* Grease the palms before working with the dough. Divide the dough into 7 or 8 portions and roll into balls. 
* Pat a dough ball into a disc of about 1/8 inch thickness.
* When the oil is ready to fry, gently slide the disc into the oil from the side of the pan. Pat some more discs and drop as many as the pan can fit without crowding.

* Fry the vadas to golden brown color, flipping them in between once or twice. Remove the fried vadas onto absorbent paper towel. Repeat the steps with the remaining dough.

So far, on this series.
A for Aloo Kabli

BMLogo
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 87

17 comments:

Sandhya Ramakrishnan said...

Street foods are the absolute delight and so glad that we have endless varieties of them in India. The bajra vadai looks so fabulous. Love the texture of the vadai and I am bookmarking it to try soon.

Padmajha said...

This one looks so good Suma!! We do have a whole lot of fried foods under street food!!

Sharmila kingsly said...

Wow vada with Bajra flour.. Superb share., Always looking for ideas to use bajra in food.. This will be most welcomed!!

Gayathri Kumar said...

Bajra vadas look amazing Suma. They sound so spicy and what a perfect treat for a rainy day..

vaishali sabnani said...

Awesome ! The bajra Wadas look gorgeous , so well made ! Love the clicks , they are so vibrant and live . Amazing pick for the alphabet .

cookingwithsapana said...

Bajra vada looks and sounds super healthy and tasty. How nice of your husband suggesting you dishes to try.

Sandhiya said...

Bajra vada looks so crispy and i'm sure that it must be tasty with a cup of tea . Love these kind of food that stay well for days in room temperature. Must try vadas !!!

Harini R said...

Wow! Love the flavor of bajra and I am sure the deep fried versions always taste better :)

Unknown said...

wow that such a tempting vada and wonderfully prepared, I would love to have these crispy vadas.. Your hubby seems to have big list of street foods , keep going suma :).. Such perfectly shaped vada are calling me looks irresistible !!

Srividhya said...

Never tried Bajra vada. This is very interesting and I am sure it is yummy too. Fried goodies are always great for tea and coffee as you mentioned.

Priya Srinivasan - I Camp in My Kitchen said...

Wow, looks like a giant cookie, with some hot chai this must great to dip in and enjoy!!!

Priya Suresh said...

I tried once vadas with bajra flour, cant to wait to give a try to this version, simply fabulous and dangerously addictive.

Mayuri Patel said...

Bajra vada look so good, my mother in law use to make them often... a smart way to get my kids to have millet and methi when they were young.

Pavani said...

That is a very interesting vada with bajra flour. They look crispy and delicious. Perfect tea time treat :-)

Kalyani said...

Great pick suma ! Almost like nippattu but with the goodness of bajra :) bookmarking yo try

preeti garg said...

Bajra Vada is very innovative and healthy snack which goes very well with Indian dips.

Srivalli said...

I think nothing beats the vadas when it comes to our street food right! While I always think of chaats as the street food, when we go around the market place, the shop that sells the vadas have the maximum crowd! So naturally this ought to be the fast selling ones..Vadas with bajra flour sounds awesome..best way to use up those flours..wonderful share Suma..