Ingredients: cup Chana dal (Bengal Gram Dal), cup Yellow Moong Dal (Split), to 4 Dry Red Chillies, inch Ginger, teaspoon Fennel seeds (Saunf), Cinnamon Stick (Dalchini) - small, to 3 Cloves (Laung), cup Snake gourd (pudulangai) - finely chopped, to 3 Green Chillies - finely chopped, sprig Curry leaves, to 3 sprig Coriander (Dhania) Leaves - finely chopped, Vegetarian diet
Instructions: To begin making the Chettinad Podalangai Vadai (Chettinad Style Snake Gourd Fritters) recipe, wash and soak the channa and moong dals along with dried red chillies for 2 hours.Now, coarsely grind the soaked dals and dried red chillies using a mixer grinder and keep aside. Make sure you do not add any water, as the snake gourd will keep releasing water into the batter.Add the chopped snake gourd's in a small bowl, sprinkle some salt over it and let is sit for 10 minutes. This will help remove any excess water from the vegetable.In the mean, heat a small tadka pan and dry roast the fennel seeds, cinnamon and cloves. Grind this along with ginger to a fine paste in a mixer using little water and keep aside.Take a big bowl, add the coarsely ground chana and moong dal mix, snake gourd with water completely squeezed out, ginger and spice paste, finely chopped green chillies, coriander and curry leaves. Season with salt and mix well.Heat enough oil for frying in a frying pan on medium heat, when the oil is well heated, make small vadai's and slowly drop it into the oil.Let it cook on one side for 3 minutes and until it turns slightly golden brown.Once the vadai's are cooked on one side, flip it over and let it cook on the other side for another 3 minutes.Remove from oil and let it drain in a kitchen paper.Serve this Chettinad Podalangai Vadai (Chettinad Style Snake Gourd Fritters) Recipe during Navratri or include it as a condiment while making a Chettinad themed elaborate weekend brunch.