Pattaani Paruppu Vadai

Yellow Peas Vada. Yellow Peas Masal Vadai. Street Vendor's Special Vada. Coimbatore Pattu Paruppu Vadai. Kovai Pattani Paruppu Vadai. Kovai Paruppu Vadai. Coimbatore Paruppu Vadai.

You all know that I am basically from Chennai (but still prefer to call it as Madras). We(Chennaiittes/ Madras vaasi) uniquely distinguish 'two different vadas' into 'Medhu Vada' and 'Masal Vada'! Each has Urad dal and Chana dal respectively. Medhu Vada is kind of soft and devoid of strong spices, whereas masal vadai is very crisp and incorporatd with lot of spices. Like in one movie Nagesh says 'medu vada will come away from spoon and masal vada will come along with spoon, when you cut it. (It would be lot more funnier, when he says)

Why am I doing this research, yeah...I challenged my Coimbatore friends, to trace the etymology of 'vadai', why they still call the 'Masal vadai' as 'Paruppu Vadai', he he. Oh comeon, all the vadais are made out of dal except for few(like maddur vada, sago vada etc)!

Generally the vadai taste better from street vendors, have you wondered 'why is it?'. Hmmm, they don't use any dal...pretty much use 'dry split yellow peas'. Which is also called as 'pattani paruppu' in Tamil, the word 'Pattani Paruppu' got anglicized to 'Pattu Paruppu' in Coimbatore and slowly they started mentioning it as simply 'Paruppu Vadai'! Well, which is very different from Chennai Masal vadai! They taste better, unique, crisp and very aromatic...makes your next door neighbour hungry.

Ingredients:

Oil for deep frying
Split yellow peas (super dry) 1 cup
Onions finely chopped
Green chilies finely chopped
Salt
Cilantro leaves
Curry leaves
Ginger 2" grated
Garlic paste 1/2 spoon
Dry red chili flakes
Fennel seeds - powdered 1 spoon
Fennel seeds 1/2 spoon
Cloves 2 crushed
Cinnamon 1 small stick crushed

If you are not so much into spices...skip the last 3 mentioned items.

Method:

Soak the peas for about 20 minutes and coarsely grind them, by adding very less water.

Now throw in all the spices and stuff mentioned...bring it to vadai consistency batter.

Heat oil in a shallow frying pan, shape them and shallow fry till crisp and nice.

Serve warm to go with you tea.