Masala vadai and coconut chutney (Mama's recipes)

Ingredients

For vadai:
chana dal - 1 cup
finely chopped onion - 1/4 cup
green chilli - 1
fennel seeds - 1/4 tbsp
garlic cloves - 2
finely chopped coriander - 1/4 cup
oil - 10 mL
salt

For coconut chutney:
grated coconut - 1 cup
roasted bengal gram -  1/3 up
Green chillies - 2
mustard seeds
urad dal
curry leaves
Asafoetida
oil - 1 tbsp
salt

Recipe

For vadai:

1. Soak chana dal in 1-1.5 cup water for 2 hours.
2. Drain the water and transfer the dal to a mixie. Add salt and garlic. Using the pulse mode break the dal into very small pieces. Don't grind the dal too smooth.
3. Meanwhile heat about 10 mL of oil in a deep frying pan.
3. Remove the dal from the mixie on to a plate. Add the chopped onions, coriander, chilli and mix well. Make them into small balls on your palms and flatten them slightly and then add them to hot oil.
4. Fry them until they turn brown. Keep tossing them from one side to another and don't let them burn.

For coconut chutney:

1. Grind the coconut, bengal gram, chilli, salt and 1/2 cup water in a mixie using the pulse mode for 20 sec.
2. Add more water if required (depends on taste, I like my chutney thick).
3. Remove the contents from the mixie to a bowl.
4. In a frying pan add some oil. When the oil is hot add some mustard seed (1 tbsp). Add 2 tbsp of urad dal when the mustard seeds start popping. Add 1/8 tbsp of asafoetida at the end.
5. Add this straight to the bowl. Mix well.
6. Serve hot.

Notes:

1. I used frozen grated coconut and it worked well.
2. The chillies, salt and thickness of coconut chutney can be adjusted based on the taste.
3. To prevent the dal sticking onto palms during making the balls for vadai, I rubbed some oil in my palms.
4. I used as little oil as possible. But I feel it can be reduced more.
5. Serves as a delicious snack on evenings and as an appetizer for dinner.