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Gardening is an exercise in optimism. Sometimes,
it is a triumph of hope over experience.
- Marina Schinz

The In Season series is a web diary of the gardening successes and mishaps of two eternally hopeful novices. The ladybug above will lead you to previous posts in the series.

J is the king of strategy and timing. After frying something in the appam / aebleskiver pan, he will leave it on the stove instead of wiping it and putting it away. He knows that if I see the leftover oil, I will try to use it up by frying something else. And that’s exactly what happened.

Yesterday, I got multiple reminders on this site of how “lucky” I am because J was making those psychedelic things when I returned from the gym. I agree, it was exceptionally chivalrous and heroic on his part - being male and all - to fix himself a snack and offer me some.

But, well… my gratitude gene is either dormant or underwent a mutation ages ago and doesn’t kick into gear so readily. (For the record, J is as baffled at the response to his “achievement” as I am.) Now go on, tell him how lucky he is that I didn’t empty that stupid appam pan over this head, and how grateful he should be that I made this.

I used sage and parsley instead of the usual curry leaves and coriander (cilantro).

Sage (Salvia officinalis) is fantastic in this, and is much easier to grow in our climate than curry leaves. These south Indian fritters are much like the west Asian falafels. The Indian version uses either just chana dal (split bengal gram, quite similar to yellow split peas) or a combination of lentils, while falafels are made with soaked chickpeas.

I used equal parts of chana dal, moong dal (split , skinned ming beans) and toor dal (split, skinned pigeon peas). If you don’t have any of these lentils or cannot access an Indian grocery store, use just yellow split peas or a combo of yellow and green.

You can fry them up as regular fritters, but if you use the appam / aebleskiver pan, you need a total of 3.5 tbsps of oil. BTW, we got some queries about sources to buy that pan. While checking them out, we found a similar contraption called a takoyaki pan - also cast iron and priced about the same, but with 12 slots.

COCKTAIL LENTIL FRITTERS WITH SAGE (Parippu Vada/Masala Vada)

(Makes about 20 cocktail vadas)
1/4 cup each chana dal, moong dal and toor dal, soaked together for 2 hours
2 tbsps chopped red onion/shallots
2 to 3 chopped serrano or Thai bird chillies
1 tsp chopped ginger
salt to taste
1 tbsp each chopped curry leaves and cilantro (we used sage and parsley)
3.5 tbsps vegetable oil

1. Drain the lentils and save the water. Separate out 1/3 of the lentils. Blend everything (except the herbs and salt) to a coarse paste in a blender adding no water, or as little as possible (use the reserved lentil water).

8. If you let the vadas sit on the paper towel for about 5 minutes after frying, they will crispen further.

These Cocktail Lentil Fritters with Sage go to Andrea @ Andrea’s Recipes for the anniversary edition of Grow Your Own.

WRAP SANDWICH WITH LENTIL FRITTERS

We had them at teatime yesterday. I also ate them for lunch today wrapped in a sourdough roti (flatbread) with some baby chard and tomatoes from our garden along with Tarator bi Tahina.

Tarator/Taratour is an Arabic sauce commonly served with Falafels. It is made various ways with breadcrumbs / pine nuts / walnuts / sesame needs or a combination. The common ingredients in all the versions are lemon and garlic.

Tarator Bi Tahina is made with sesame paste (sesame butter/tahini). You can use store-bought tahini, or grind up white sesame seeds with light sesame oil or vegetable oil.

Here’s our version.

TARATOR BI TAHINA

Makes about 2/3 cup
1/3 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 tbsps lemon juice
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves crushed or very finely minced garlic
salt to taste
a pinch each of cumin and paprika

Mix this all together and thin it out a tad with 2 tbsps water (or yogurt for a non-vegan version). Stir in some chopped parsley if you like.

This vegan wrap sandwich goes to Michelle @ Greedy Gourmet for SnackShots: Sandwich

and for the Nourishing Portable Food Challenge @ The Nourishing Gourmet.

- b.

Related posts

• Moong Beans, Greens and Mango. With Sourdough Rotis. (39)
• Maa di Dal (Dal Makhani) (45)
• Vegan Quiche with Swiss Chard and Corn (26)
• The Perfect Tomato Salsa (39)
• Mirchi ka Salan (37)

SPEAK YOUR MIND

56 Comments so far

1. shilpa on August 21, 2008 2:28 pm

   Ohh poor J ;), looks like he lives with the fear all the time :D. (Bee, I am just kidding, don’t get angry, I am just happy to see the vada post by you :D)

   I am drooling at the pictures and now I want to eat some. Was waiting for weekend and you come up with another deep fried goodness :). Looks like now I have to take out that appe pan :).

2. Pavani on August 21, 2008 2:33 pm

   Yum.. Yum.. Delicious and (almost) fried snacks are always welcome. Thats a unique take on traditional vadas.

3. Cham on August 21, 2008 3:24 pm

   Splendid edible bouquet! Wow how lucky J is to not get any oil bath shower
   Bee, the vada took a long time to get cooked with the little oil, if no, i can hide my deep fryer also!

   i think it cooks faster this way because of the hot cast iron on all sides.

4. mummyjaan on August 21, 2008 3:36 pm

   I’m trying these out tomorrow… thanks!

5. Dee on August 21, 2008 3:41 pm

   Bee, you are sooo lucky to have J- he can cook LOL , I feel like plonking that pan on our “guests” who says that to me when K cooks , more punishment for him , I havent been entering the kitchen except for making lunch for myself ( not him) , its almost 2 weeks now!! On another note , love the fritters , wait , I thnk I love the wrap more! I will try this soon. On another note … Can we grow chard in pots or are they at their best when planted on the ground ?

   you can grow chard in pots.

6. arfi on August 21, 2008 4:05 pm

   while you’re enjoying sage, some of mine are going woody. they just like a little bush of rosemary, when they’re growing old, they’re just like hard twisted twigs and hard. the wrap looks nice and must be stronger flavour with the combination of safe and parsley. nice breakthrough, B&J!

7. Uma on August 21, 2008 4:33 pm

   Yummy fritters! looks so delicious and mouth-watering. Love the wrap sandwich more. I also use all the three kinds of lentils sometimes to make vadas. Beautiful pics.

8. Johanna on August 21, 2008 4:59 pm

   I love Jai’s idea of frying in these pans - I too hate leftover oil which is yet another reason not to deep fry.

   I didn’t get to comment on his post but I understand those who said you are lucky to have someone to cook with and for you - my partner E is not at all interested in cooking and I sometimes miss the sharing the ideas and the work (he is a dab hand at washing up so I can’t complain too much).

   I also wanted to say how great these fritters look and I love the photo of the bouquet of fritters - gorgeous

9. Madhuram on August 21, 2008 5:47 pm

   Can’t wait to try the bondas as well as the vadas. My husband doesn’t eat anything deep fried in oil and I’m lazy to just make pooris/vadas for myself. So I wait to eat in the south indian restaurant and during the lunch buffet, I just keep eating the medhu vadais.

10. Manggy on August 21, 2008 6:03 pm

    I’m learning so much about Indian food here! (I’m obviously very sadly ignorant…) They look fantastic! I’m sure you’ll disagree, but there’s always extra points for being fried
    Now… There’s no chance you guys’ll be making Takoyaki huh?

11. Sweatha J on August 21, 2008 6:09 pm

    Hi J&B,
    I have used your recipes a lot and am sending 2 to T&T.Please pick up your award at my site.

    http://tastycurryleaf.blogspot.com/2008/08/strawberry-banana-sorbet-
    my-first-award.html

12. [... no name ...] on August 21, 2008 6:41 pm

    But Bee, it is your duty.
    [scrambles to get on a plane to Timbuctoo]

13. Bharti on August 21, 2008 7:11 pm

    Ya know, in Dubai where I grew up, there were many falafel places. But one of the most popular ones was owned by a south indian guy and he put these lentils vadas (the kind u’ve made) instead of the chickpea ones. Also added salad and a green chutney based yogurt sauce instead of the tahini. Man they were good, and so cheap too.
    Sage and parsley sound lovely in your version.

14. notyet100 on August 21, 2008 7:57 pm

    just need some te to go with wadas,..awesome post…will buy the appam pan soon

15. shibani on August 21, 2008 8:21 pm

    Oh my god the wrap looks so delectable and I loved ur mug and of course ur Vadas too.Beautifully captured.

16. Nirmala on August 21, 2008 8:48 pm

    Bee this way J has won by making u fry some more fritters and cleaning the appam pan I think this his one good post which received 58 comments (till now) He must be happy! Let him poor thing!
    BTW these fritters look crispy and lovely. Add a spoon full of saunf in the end while grinding the lentils. That gives a nice aroma whne they fry!

17. arundati on August 21, 2008 9:00 pm

    am not too hot on parippu vadas….but i really like the presentation of the wrap…the colours and the picture are very good

18. sushma on August 21, 2008 10:36 pm

    Bee iam impressed with the idea of frying in appam pan and im gonna buy it and make it this way .those pics r so nice.. this is my fav we call it chattambade

19. Jayashree on August 22, 2008 12:27 am

    Love the idea of using parippu vadas in a wrap.

20. sunita on August 22, 2008 1:44 am

    The pan, again..this is sheer temptation! We make similar vadas, but usually with masur dal.

    BTW, have you noticed that I didn’t mention that you are lucky and blah, blah…it just drives me mad, very mad!

21. Rashmi on August 22, 2008 1:45 am

    Are these made with the same 3.5 Tbsp oil tht Jai used yesterday ?

    yes

22. Rashmi on August 22, 2008 2:08 am

    just remembered a similar cooking pan used for kanom krok, kind of like thai donuts, which has 14 slots. It might be a tad cheaper too.

23. Meeta on August 22, 2008 2:09 am

    ok so that’s fried food twice this week! bee an extra round at the gym? seriously though i think you were a pair made in an appam / aebleskiver pan! the wrap looks great!

24. sia on August 22, 2008 2:33 am

    u both compliment each other wonderfully and so lucky to have one another
    i am thinking of joining politics. what dya think ? he he he….

25. PG on August 22, 2008 3:13 am

    the idea with sage is wonderful. I have a lot of sage which I am freezing in lots , and was looking gfor some good recipe. You have given me good ideas.
    BTW, I am sending one recipe today evening to T&T.
    I haven’t read all the commnets on the precvious post, I admit, but although i have a husband who helps me a lot with the household , cooking included - whenever the need arises, but it is all just because of need, and he cooks very well. But, I sometimes do wish he could share that pleasure and fascination for cooking food with me. So, I do envy you both on this , that you share an interest and work together on this blog. It will never work out for me and my hubby!

26. Priya on August 22, 2008 4:58 am

    Ah Oh! Poor Jai! His intention was to clean the cast iron pan after it was cooled enough to handle.

    You are clever Bee! You found a reason to hide your temptation for deep fried fritters.

27. Laavanya on August 22, 2008 5:04 am

    Those wraps look great - enticing idea Bee.

28. Aparna Inguva on August 22, 2008 5:54 am

    The wrap looks delectable Bee. Did you happen to notice the takoyai link I added in the previous post? just wondering! I have tried your arvi patties and sending to T&T. Rock on.
    -A

    Thanks for the link Aparna. -j

29. Chandrika on August 22, 2008 7:17 am

    That is such an awesome idea..Who would think of making vadas in the aappam pan..I normally shy away from all the deep fried goodies due to the oil factor, but you have a showed a wonderful way, Bee! Thank you so much!

30. Bhagyashri on August 22, 2008 7:26 am

    I tried deep frying in the pan yesterday & it was great! I am now going to follow this whenever possible. Thanks both of you!
    The fritters look delicious! I usually add Urad Dal instead of the Toor dal. And if any of the batter is remaining, we add a little rice flour & make dosas.

31. sra on August 22, 2008 7:34 am

    Couldn’t help jumping into this with a sage comment, Bee - like Johanna said, I think people are wistfully envious - I think it’s more that they want the same thing with their male partners (taking on/sharing responsibility around the house/similar interests) and not so much the issue of ‘man earns, woman cooks and traditional role-play overturned, hence you’re lucky, etc’.

32. Sonal on August 22, 2008 8:36 am

    Hi Bee,
    My husband has been after me to make him his favorite vadas, just like his Mom makes!! Men!! :-) And I think you just answered my questions on how to make them..Now all I need to do is stop looking at pans on Amazon and actually buy an aebleskiver pan :-)..of course the reason for the addition to my already very crowded kitchen is to make a healthier version (so I am happy) of his favorite vadas (so he is happy)
    Thanks!

33. Chennette on August 22, 2008 9:50 am

    ah, made with these ingredients, it would be very similar to what Trinis make as kachouries - lovely photos. Now that Ramadan is approaching these little fried treats are on my mind!

34. richa on August 22, 2008 10:06 am

    heroic….lol

35. smitha on August 22, 2008 10:18 am

    Hi Bee
    Enjoyed reading the comments. Don’t know why people keep pulling your leg!! ha ha without these there wont be any jugalbandi i’m sure. Tum jiyo hazzaro saal !!
    Love you both…

36. Alexa on August 22, 2008 11:02 am

    Oh wow Bee these look so good and I love the pictures… You guys have such a strong eye for design. Have you ever tried baking them instead?

    baking works, but they get hard as rocks.

37. Meera on August 22, 2008 12:44 pm

    These vadas & wrap look delicious. Enjoyed reading your side of the story!;-) I really think that coming up with the idea of deep frying batata vadas in appe pan deserve a standing ovation. Now that’s what I call heroic. :-D
    You both are very creative with a great sense of humor.

38. Rachna on August 22, 2008 1:47 pm

    jay your wify cook such yummy stuff AND cleans up the pan too…. wow you soooo lucky to have her…. !!!

39. Cynthia on August 22, 2008 7:20 pm

    Yesterday, I got multiple reminders on this site of how “lucky” I am because J was making those psychedelic things when I returned from the gym. I agree, it was exceptionally chivalrous and heroic on his part - being male and all - to fix himself a snack and offer me some. - I knew you pounce on this!

40. amar on August 23, 2008 2:54 am

    making vadaas in aappam pan is agreat idea
    will try it soon

41. enjay on August 23, 2008 9:55 pm

    Now you’ve gone and done it.

    I’m going to load up my aebleskiver pan with hot oil and fry everything in sight. A fritter sandwich with tahina..cruelty.

42. nags on August 24, 2008 1:54 am

    i’ve been meaning to make this for a while now. love the last wrap pic

43. zainab & meedo on August 24, 2008 3:08 am

    Beautiful photos!
    you have an award waiting for you on our blog

44. Aparna on August 24, 2008 9:26 am

    Bee, I thought you didn’t like deep fried food! I now believe you. Two “oily” posts in a week!!

45. Meera on August 24, 2008 2:51 pm

    haha…that’s a funny post bee! Loved the vadas and the pics as usual :-)

46. Sheetal on August 24, 2008 4:56 pm

    I am totally in love with your food styling … those delectable little yummies are calling out to me so loud!!! I am sure I will be counting a few of those jumping over the fence tonight

47. maybelles mom (feeding maybelle) on August 25, 2008 4:57 pm

    ah, bee, good show of girl power.

48. Linda on August 26, 2008 4:24 am

    Now that’s some fabulous fusion! Hope you guys have had a great summer — looking forward to catching up here

49. zlamushka on August 26, 2008 7:15 am

    What a lovely “buquet of flowers” … and it s edible. I WANT ONNNNNEEEEE NOOOOOW :-)

50. farida on August 26, 2008 1:31 pm

    I love your food and photographs a lot! Lentil fritters look so delicious. I like fritters of all sorts:)

51. Jude on August 26, 2008 9:18 pm

    I’m always looking for recipes for my underused aebelskiver pan. Thanks for this idea.

52. Jeanne on August 29, 2008 2:52 am

    Oh I *love* these! Not only because I love lentils but also the super-adorable size. Beautiful pics as always - I’d love that wrap sandwich for lunch!

53. kate on August 30, 2008 3:22 pm

    thats a nice twist on the traditional vadas. I ‘m sure they taste so aromatic, specially with the sage … hmmm all that fresh sage …wonderful … i wish i could get my hands on some … i have some curry leaves growing in my house though, i could trade with that !

54. Susan from Food Blogga on September 1, 2008 3:55 pm

    I have never seen a pan like that before, Bee. How neat! And that last photo is stunning. It makes me want to dig right in!

55. Sunshinemom on September 1, 2008 10:56 pm

    I love that bouquet! a….Ok what ever that pan is, looks like an appam mould! Nice one:)

56. Vaishali on September 2, 2008 10:59 am

    Thanks, Bee, for this lovely recipe. I was pleasantly surprised to see you used sage which is never used in traditional Indian cuisine, at least to my knowledge. I can imagine its strong fragrance would work beautifully in something like this.