Vazhappoo Vadai (Plaintain Flower Fritters)

For all these years, people have kept on inventing new dishes out of all possible veggies. This dish is one such kind and I have wondered so many times, who would have invented this and how come they could have got such a thought ;) Coming to the recipe, its a delicious vada you can have. It goes well with Mor Kulambu and also with sambar. If you have patience(to sort the veggie), you deserve a great treat.

Ingredients:

Vazhaipoo(Plaintain Flower) - 1 sorted

Bengal Gram Dhal - 2 cups 

Red Chillies - 6

Raw Rice - 1 tbsp

Green Chillies - 2

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Fennel Seeds - 2 tsp

Garlic - 4 pods

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece

Aesfoetida - 1/4 tsp

Salt

Onion - 1 

Green Chillies - 2 minced finely

Curry Leaves and Coriander Leaves - minced finely

Method

Soak the dhal and rice seperately for an hour. 

Sort out the plaintain flower, wash it and cut it roughly to grind. 

In a mixer, add the rice, chillies, cumin seeds, fennel seeds garlic and ginger. Girnd it to a smooth paste by adding little water. 

Then add the flower and grind it coarsely. Finally add the dhal and grind it coarsely(as you do for masal vada)

Add the minced onion, chillies, leaves and salt. Mix well. 

In a kadai, heat required oil for frying. 

Take a small ball of batter, flatten it and fry it in oil. 

This vada wont be too crispy as masal vada. It will be soft only and crispier outside alone. 

Serve hot with rice and curry. Or if you are serving as a evening snack, serve it with pudhina chutney.