Alasanda / Lobia Vada

Introduce

Chef :

Padmapriya Anand

Alasanda / Lobia Vada

Cowbeans are called alasandalu in Telugu, Vella Payar in tamil, Lobia in Hindi. They are a great health food as they are low in calories and high in proteins and fiber. They are said to be very good in maintaining heart health too. This is a street food from Andhra Pradesh and also made specially for the Sankranti festival. They are very crispy and awesome for evening snacks. These vadas can be shallow fried or they can be baked too. I preferred deep frying them today, as I was running late for an errand. #technique2

Ingredient

Cooking time :

1 hr

1 cup

Lobia/cowbeans

medium Onion

3-4

Green Chillies

1.5 inch

piece Ginger

2 sprigs

Curry leaves

1 small bunch

Coriander leaves

1/4 tsp

Black pepper

Pinch

Asafoetida

To taste

Salt

Cooking instructions

* Step 1

Wash and soak the Lobia for minimum 3 hours. Then filter the soaked Lobia to remove excess water.

* Step 2

Coarsely grind the Lobia. Make sure not to over-grind it, else the vadas wouldn't be crispy. Also make sure there are no whole cowbeans in it, as it may burst in the oil.

* Step 3

Coarsely grind the onion, coriander leaves, curry leaves, ginger. Add it to the Lobia paste.

* Step 4

Add salt, hing and black pepper and mix well.

* Step 5

Heat oil on medium heat, make lemon sized balls of the batter and make Vada shape and drop them in oil. You can make both with or without hole in between.