Spinach and Mint Paruppu Vadai (fritters made with lentils and greens)

If you were taking a road trip in India, you are more than likely to stop under the cool shade of a tamarind tree for a break to stretch your legs or to spread out a picnic meal and hard to resist a taste of the tender green tamarind. The roads leading to my grandparent's village were lined with Jamun trees and during season tasting those mud splattered fruits was a delight unto itself. Should we say thanks to King Ashoka? He was instrumental in promoting the planting of roadside fruit trees and rest areas.

Split peas ready to hit the blender with the spices

Contrast this to trees on the road side here in the US, they are invariably trees that don't flower or fruit and exception being a few weeks in a year when they will be in a blaze of color. Seeing rows and rows of trees is no doubt pleasurable but it was surprising for me as a new immigrant not to see a lone fruit tree. May be an occasional crab apple tree usually on older residential streets but none on the interstates or rest areas. The obvious reasons that come to your mind are all the reasons that they you do not see them. Nuisance from birds and falling fruit littering the streets being most common. I only wished there were more serious reasons for not planting fruit trees!

blended dal

Paruppu vadai, bhajjis and medhu vadai. What do these snacks remind you of? Good Times? They always remind me of my summer vacation at my maternal grandparent's with a house full of aunts and uncles and cousins . Whenever a choice was offered invariably the bhajji or medhu vadai got the most votes, paruppu vadai never had a chance. Not that I missed it much. I preferred medhu vadai and so picked it when I was ready to deep fry. Latha of A Peek into My Kitchen had these crunchy and very tasty looking Mint Vadais and a thought slowly crept into my mind result of which are these Spinach Paruppu vadais.

Blended dal mixed in with the greens

Another important requirement for these snacks is to share it with good company and that is what we did. Our good friends came over for an impromptu snack eating and chatting.

Recipe Adapted From: Mint Vadai at A Peek into My Kitchen

Spinach and Mint Paruppu Vadai
Ingredients
1. 2 cups green split peas (yellow split peas or channa dal can be used)
2. 1/4 cup toor dal
3. 5 red chilies
4. 1 tsp fennel seeds
5. 2 tsp cumin seeds
6. 1/2 tsp asfoetida

7. 1 cup finely chopped onions
8. 6 green chilies chopped fine
9. 4 cups chopped fresh spinach
10. 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
11. 1 cup chopped mint leaves
12. a handful of chopped curry leaves
13. salt to taste
14. peanut oil for deep frying

Method
1. Wash the split peas and toor dal and soak for 2-3 hours
2. Discard and remove water completely save a handful of the dal and blend the rest with the first 6 ingredients and salt to a slightly coarse mixture.
3. Heat the oil in a pan to deep fry
4. Mix in the chopped greens , saved dal and salt to the dal mixture
5. Take a small lemon sized dal mixture, pat in the palm the hand to make a flat pattie
6. Drop in the oil and fry on both sides to golden brown. Drain on a paper towel.

Serve with cucumbers/carrots and some tomato sauce on the side.

Note:
1. Add the greens and onions just before making the vadais
2. Wash and pat dry the greens completely before chopping and adding to the dal mixture.
3. Less the moisture less in the dal mixture the less oil the vadai will absorb while frying.

Off this will go to Blog Bites #3: Adaptation over at our favorite blog One Hot Stove.