Masala Vadai with Green Yogurt Chutney

HomeClinics & ProgramsELLICSR KitchenMasala Vadai with Green Yogurt Chutney

Skill Level	Intermediate

Preparation Time	10 minutes (+ 3 hours soaking time)	Total Time	30 minutes
Servings	4 (4 masala vadai per serving)	Cost Per Serving	$1.65

Masala Vadai

1 cup	Channa Dal (split black chickpeas)
2 tbsp	Flour (Chickpea Flour or Regular All-Purpose Flour)
1/2 cup	Red Onion, roughly chopped
1 tbsp	Fresh Ginger, roughly chopped
1	Red Chili (optional)
1/2 cup	Fresh Herbs (Cilantro, Mint, Parsley), roughly chopped
1 tsp each	Ground Cumin Seed, Ground Fennel Seed, Cinnamon
1 1/2 tbsp	Grape Seed Oil
To taste	Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Green Yogurt Chutney

1 cup	Fresh Cilantro or Parsley
1/2 cup	Fresh Mint
1 clove	Garlic
3 tbsp	Plain Yogurt
2 tbsp	Lemon Juice
1 tsp	Olive Oil
1 tsp	Honey
1	Green Chili (optional)
To taste	Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Soak the channa dal in water ahead of time for about three hours.
Drain the dal well and add to a food processor. Pulse until very crumbly, similar to bread crumbs. Empty into a bowl.
Add onion, ginger, chili, ground cumin, ground fennel, and cinnamon to the food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add to the dal. Mix well and season.
Form the batter into small (1–inch) balls with your hands, and gently flatten into ¼ inch thick discs.
Add the oil to a cast iron or non-stick pan over medium high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add a few of the discs and cook for about 3 minutes per side.
For the chutney, add all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until pureed. Serve with the masala vadai.

PDF link to nutrition facts table for masala vadai with green yogurt chutney

Red and green chilis contain capsaicin, an antioxidant. The hotter the pepper, the more antioxidants it contains. Capsaicin may help to reduce appetite and raise the metabolic rate, which may be helpful for people trying to lose weight. Researchers in this area caution that the effect is modest. As such, diet and exercise are still essential tools in the weight loss battle.
If you aren’t used to spicy food, it can take some getting used to. Eventually nerve cells on the tongue become desensitized to spicy food and endorphins, hormones associated with feelings of pleasure, are released.
Legumes such as chickpeas are rich in folate, phosphorus and manganese. Diets rich in folate are associated with a lower risk of esophageal, pancreatic and colorectal cancers. Phosphorus is needed for healthy bones, and manganese is needed to stabilize blood sugar levels.