When I prepared betel leaves rice for the first time, I got very positive feedback and it soon occupied a regular place in our menu. Easy availability of the betel leaves is one of the reason behind the popularity of this dish at our home. Last time when I prepared this rice, I was left with few betel leaves and I stored them for making vada . This one is also from Karasaram reva’s site. But the leaves turned slightly darker in its colour which don’t look like edible. so, I just discarded the leaves and forget about making the vadas.
When my mom returned from my relative’s marriage, she got few fresh betel leaves. In India, betel leaves are given with coconut, banana and kumkum as thampoolam in marriages and other rituals.
On seeing the betel leaves the idea of making the betel leaf vada came into my mind again. I stored betel leaves in refrigerator to keep it fresh and soaked whole moong dal for 6-7 hours. After taking one cup of soaked moong dal for making the vada, I used the remaining moong dal to make sprouts. This betel leaf vada can be used as a evening snack and I served it with sweet and spicy tamarind chutney.
Basic Information:
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients:
Betel leaves – 5 nos, large size, washed and chopped finely
Soaked whole moong dal – 1 cup, heaped
Cooked rice – 2 cups
Ginger – 1 inch length, chopped
Green chillies – 3 nos,
Curry leaves – 2 strings, finely chopped
Coriander leaves – 2 strings, finely chopped
White / Black sesame seeds – 1 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds / powder – 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds / powder – 1/2 teaspoon
Salt – to taste
Method:
1) Take cooked rice in a wide bowl. Mush it well using your hand or spatula.
2) Make a coarse paste of soaked moong dal using a mixer without adding water. Add this coarse paste to the mushy rice.
3) Grind the ginger and green chillies to a coarse paste. Add it to the rice and moong dal mixture.
4) Add other ingredients (betel leaves, curry leaves, coriander leaves, sesame seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and salt). Mix well until all the ingredients are well incorporated. No need to add water.
5) Shape this mixture into a round shape vada (with a size of an amla) and arrange in plates.
6) Heat oil in a frying pan. when it is hot and not smoking, fry the vadas till the outer part becomes crisp and turns golden brown.
7) Serve hot. We enjoyed it with sweet and spicy tamarind chutney.
Notes:
1) Use only mid range betel leaves. It should not be too young and too mature. If you don’t get such mid range leaves, use whatever you get, but make sure to adjust the count based on its size and maturity.
2) The original recipe includes white sesame seeds, fenugreek powder and cumin powder. As I didn’t have these ingredients, I chose to add black sesame seeds, fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds.
Simply stunning and inviting.
dats a really gr8 dish.. nice clicks as usual.. wil try this recipe ven i come to chennai.. 🙂
Sounds interesting dish..healthy vada
super crispy and tempting dear
this sounds interesting…yummy moong vada, will try sometime, i get betel leaves here 🙂
this is just interesting I might try out in small portion 1st n check hw my family agrees to the taste 🙂 wonderful recipe
I have already bookmarked ur betel leaves rice and now bookmarking this too… Waiting for some festival so that I get some betel leaves to try this
delicious and inviting..
this vada looks totally inviting and cute appealing
Super tempting vada,Luks too gud…
so yummy and tempting snack!
Awesome recipe dear! Well done!! Your beautiful clicks are making them look even more tempting. Bookmarked 🙂
awesome recipe.. i hv beetel leaves grown in my house.. wld love to try it.. my hubby wants me to try it for sure wen i sd abt tis one..
liked all ur clicks uma.. thanks for sharing this recipe.. will try it..
delicious and inviting…Very authentic too
sounds very interesting,thxs for sharing!!
Nice recipe. we usually thrw betel leaves. nice use
very interesting recipe….i love it …
Very interesting recipe lovely balls will try it sometime
Seriously this vadas are in my to do list since a long, we dont get betel leaves here..Fabulous vadas.
Looks so delicious. Nice dish.
That's quite a recipe.. I never knew betel leaves can be used in our cuisine.. Great to know.. And awesome clicks & perfect looking vadas 🙂