Food Blog: Daily digest for Bhavna's Food Journey, on August 28, 2021

Friday, August 27, 2021

Daily digest for Bhavna's Food Journey, on August 28, 2021

Chola (Lobia) Vadi

by Bhavna's Food Journey

Have you checked out my super easy khichiya papad recipe? This is another summer special item which you can prepare during summer and use it for the whole year.

Chola/lobia (black eye peas) vadi are prepared during summer and can be stored for the whole year. It is prepared using just 1 main ingredient. It is super easy to make. Vadis are added to sabji during the time when you are out of fresh veggies or they are expensive. I prepare it every year. I make so many different sabji using these vadi. You can prepare papad vadi sabji, add it to eggplant subji, vadi kadhi, and so many variations. My personal favourite is with eggplant. It is high in protein, gluten free and vegan.

You can use chola dal if available, I have used whole chola as it is hard to find chola dal here in Canada.

Prepare this during hot summer days. Here in Toronto, we frequently get rain during summer so I make sure to check if it's a sunny day before starting the preparation. Also, chola dal (back eye peas) need to be soaked for at least 10-12 hours. Soak it night before and prepare during next morning.

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Product recommended:
Vitamix Mixer

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Preparation Time: 45 minutes

Cooking Time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cup chola (lobia) dal or whole chola (black eye peas)
Salt to taste
Small pinch of asafoetida

Procedure

1. Soak black eye peas for at least 10-12 hours. I soaked it night before.

2. Next morning, remove water from chola (lobia). Grind it to fine paste without adding water or just little if it's too dry.

3. Remove paste to a wide bottom bowl. Now add salt and asafoetida. Remember that after vadi dries out they shrink, so be careful while adding salt. Now whisk it using hand for at least 4-5 mins. The mixture will get light and frothy. That's what you need to get very light vadi.

4. You need to make vadi directly on plastic sheet. So first, spread clean big plastic sheet directly where there is strong sunlight. Then take some chola mixture and drop small (marble size) mixture on plastic sheet (no need to flatten). Drop vadi side by side with slight distance so they don't stick to each other.

5. Keep this under direct sunlight for full day. If it has moisture then put under sunlight next day too. I actually removed from plastic sheet next morning and spread it on pizza tray and left it outside in sun. It should dry completely or will get spoiled over the time.