Gongura Vada Recipe/ Sorrel Leaves Vada

AuthorAnkita
RatingDifficultyIntermediate

Savor the regular crispy medu vada that comes with a nutritional twist with tiny tit bits of lush green sorrel leaves. Make your snack much fulfilling with this gongura vada accompanied with a sizzling cup of kadak chai from a roadside kiosk...Take time to sink in the deliciousness of this crazy combination...

Table Of Contents:

1. Gongura Vada

2. A Prelude On Gongura Vada

3. Goodness Of Gongura

4. Scientific Facts And Usage Of Gongura

5. Ingredients Needed To Make Gongura Vada

6. Directions To Make Lip-Smacking Gongura Vada

7. Some Suggestions To Make Tasty Gongura Vada

8. Faqs

9. Nutritional Value

10.Suitable Accompaniments

11. Some Serving Ideas That May Inspire You

Vada is an intrinsic part of rich Indian Cuisine and it has its own niche in the culinary history of Indian gastronomy. We have gazallion varieties of vada that emerge in different forms, shapes and types which could flabbergast us with their impeccable deliciousness and alluring aroma. This Gongura Vada is made of Sorrel leaves which is nutritionally dense and has a distinct flavor.

A Prelude On Gongura Vada:

Gongura Vada is a fantastic power packed delicacy that could satisfy your palates and as well as fulfill your nutritional need. Making vada with spinach has been in practice since several decades where different types of greens are added to the vada batter and perked up with crunchy onion bits. We get the authentic taste of the  gongura vada by adding the indispensable ingredients like ginger, green chili, curry leaves and asafoetida which act as flavor enhancers.

Goodness Of Gongura:

The best food for heart and liver, this gongura comes with a host of health benefits. It plays a key role in the detoxification and rejuvenation of the body. It is rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which are essential for our proper body function. It has high protein and low calorie content which makes it the best food for weight loss. It reduces cholesterol levels and improves the quality of blood. It promotes eyesight and prevents hypertension besides maintaining the bone health too. It also has anti spasmodic, anti fungal and anti bacterial properties and  it is a boon green for promoting eye and hair health. Above all, it helps in preventing anemia and cancer and thus proves to be the nature's best gift to maintain over all wellness.

Scientific Facts And Usage Of Gongura:

Gongura, the popular sorrel leaves or Roselle has Hibiscus Sabdariffa as its botanical name and it originated in India and comes under Hibiscus family. It grows in tropical climate and has two common varieties, the Kenaf which is green stemmed and Roselle, the red stemmed one. Almost all the parts like stem, seeds, pods, leaves, dried flowers are consumed and are even used in the pharmaceutical industry for medicinal purposes. Gongura oil is much used in the culinary industry and syrups, juice, jam,sauce and tea are made with dried gongura flowers. The paste made of gongura leaves are supposed to heal wounds.

Here comes the recipe of a nourishing delicacy Gongura Vada which could strike a chord with kids and adults alike:

ShareTweetSaveShare
Gongura vada recipe
Yields1 Serving
Prep Time15 minsCook Time15 minsTotal Time30 mins

Ingredients To Make Gongura Vada:

 1 Cup of Sorrel Leaves (finely chopped)
 1 Cup Of Urad Dal
 2 Nos Of Onion
 5 Nos Of Green Chilies
 1 Inch Of Ginger
 ½ tsp Black Pepper Corns
 1 Pinch Of Asafoetida Powder
 1 Sprig Of Curry Leaves
 Required Amount Of Salt And Water
 Required Amount Of Cooking Oil As Required For Deep Frying

Directions To Make lip-smacking Goungura Vada:

Stage 1: Soak And Grind The Urad Dal
1

Soak a cup of urad dal and let it remain for a minimum of half an hour and a maximum of one and a half hours. Then transfer it to a blender after straining the water completely and make a smooth paste out of it. Sprinkle a little water if necessary but see to it that the batter does not become loose. The final consistency should be that of a regular medu vada batter. That is, it should be neither too thick nor too thin. An intermediate consistency gives a perfect vada.

2

Transfer it to a bowl and sprinkle the required salt. Add the measured quantities of chopped onion, ginger, green chili, curry leaves, black peppercorns and asafoetida. Finally add the finely chopped sorrel leaves and mingle altogether. Let it rest for awhile until the oil gets heated up.

Phase 2: Do The Frying
3

Heat a wok and spurt in two to three cups of cooking oil and set the flame in high mode. When it is heated up, take a tiny portion of plantain leaf and wash it well and place it in your left palm. Pull out a small ball of vada batter and place it over the leaf and it will partially flatten automatically due to its consistency. Now make a small hole at the middle with your fore finger and immediately topple it over the heated oil. Similarly, make the other patties and repeat the process.

Serve Hot
4

When the bottom portion gets cooked up well, just flip it over to the other side and when it gets completely crispy and golden brown, take it out and place over a plate covered with paper towel. Now the yummy sorrel leaves vada is ready to eat. Serve it hot with coconut chutney along with a cup of caramelly coffee.

Some Suggestions To Make Tasty Gongura Vada:

1. Buy fresh and tender green gongura leaves to make vada to get the best result.

2. Remove the leaves from the stalk and wash it well and dry it over a  cotton cloth to absorb excess water .

3. We add both green chilies and peppercorns to compensate the sourness of gongura.

4. Be liberal about adding the onion because it would spruce up the vada to a greater extent.

5. Making the vada immediately after blending the batter is a tested tip to get the perfect outcome. You get the mild golden color with a crispy outside and a soft velvetty inside with a overall spongy look if you do it that way. So in my opinion, reusing the batter after refrigerating will make your vada a little more brownish and too oily. And especially, this gongura vada batter with become all the more sour if you store it for more than a day.

Faqs:

  1. Wont it be too sour if we add raw and fresh gongura leaves?

Yes, of course. That is why we maintain a reasonable proportion of urad dal and sorrel leaves. And we also counter balance the tartness with ginger, green chili and peppercorns.

      2. Can we blanch the gongura leaves before adding it to the vada batter?

Not necessary because you can retain all the nutrition by adding it raw and it tastes delicious too.

Suitable Accompaniments For Gongura Vada:

1. Coconut Chutney

2. Groundnut Chutney

3. Allam Pachadi

4. Sambhar

5. Onion Chutney

6. Mint Chutney

7. Coriander Chutney

Some Serving Ideas That May Inspire You:

Rainy days are the best times to make any vada and  much interestingly, it is the part and parcel of  Indian food culture to make an instant savory the minute it starts to rain. First, create the perfect ambience for a scintillating snack time. Choose a spot where you have glass doors and windows through which you can see the garden, rain view and the greenery. Open the sliding window panes to feel a little drizzle and hear the birds chirping hustles. You can either enjoy with company or even alone if you have a fantastic book to read.  Place a moda and choose an aesthetic vessel to arrange your hot Gongura vadas and keep a candle light holder at the side and lit a tiny fragrant candle. Prepare an aromatic Irani Chai and fill it in a flask and keep aside with beautiful serving cups. Have at least two dips to enjoy the Gongura vada and relish it slow to dwell into the whole enchantment.

 

Ingredients

 1 Cup of Sorrel Leaves (finely chopped)
 1 Cup Of Urad Dal
 2 Nos Of Onion
 5 Nos Of Green Chilies
 1 Inch Of Ginger
 ½ tsp Black Pepper Corns
 1 Pinch Of Asafoetida Powder
 1 Sprig Of Curry Leaves
 Required Amount Of Salt And Water
 Required Amount Of Cooking Oil As Required For Deep Frying

Directions

Stage 1: Soak And Grind The Urad Dal
1

Soak a cup of urad dal and let it remain for a minimum of half an hour and a maximum of one and a half hours. Then transfer it to a blender after straining the water completely and make a smooth paste out of it. Sprinkle a little water if necessary but see to it that the batter does not become loose. The final consistency should be that of a regular medu vada batter. That is, it should be neither too thick nor too thin. An intermediate consistency gives a perfect vada.

2

Transfer it to a bowl and sprinkle the required salt. Add the measured quantities of chopped onion, ginger, green chili, curry leaves, black peppercorns and asafoetida. Finally add the finely chopped sorrel leaves and mingle altogether. Let it rest for awhile until the oil gets heated up.

Phase 2: Do The Frying
3

Heat a wok and spurt in two to three cups of cooking oil and set the flame in high mode. When it is heated up, take a tiny portion of plantain leaf and wash it well and place it in your left palm. Pull out a small ball of vada batter and place it over the leaf and it will partially flatten automatically due to its consistency. Now make a small hole at the middle with your fore finger and immediately topple it over the heated oil. Similarly, make the other patties and repeat the process.

Serve Hot
4

When the bottom portion gets cooked up well, just flip it over to the other side and when it gets completely crispy and golden brown, take it out and place over a plate covered with paper towel. Now the yummy sorrel leaves vada is ready to eat. Serve it hot with coconut chutney along with a cup of caramelly coffee.

Gongura Vada Recipe/ Sorrel Leaves Vada

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.