Name: Sepu Vadi (Split Urad Dal Dumplings in Spinach Gravy) recipe by Drashti Dholakia at BetterButter
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: For the dumplings (vadi):; ½ cup split black urad dal (split black gram); 1-2 green chillies, chopped; An inch piece of ginger; Salt to taste; Pinch of eno/ cooking soda; ¼ teaspoon lemon juice; ¼ teaspoon oil for greasing + oil for frying vadis; For the gravy:; 200 grams spinach; 1 cup curd/ dahi; 1 tablespoon mustard oil/ any cooking oil; 1 broken dry red chili, deseeded; 2 cloves/ laung; 1 cinnamon stick/ dalchini; 2 green cardamom/ hari elaichi; 1 bay leaf/ tejpatta; ½ teaspoon cumin seeds/ jeera; 1 green chilli, cut into 2 pieces or finely chopped; Pinch of asafoetida/ hing; 1 teaspoon coriander/ dhania powder; 1 teaspoon jeera/ cumin powder; ½ teaspoon red chilli powder; ¼ teaspoon fennel/ saunf powder; ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder; 1 teaspoon dill leaves/ suwa; Water, as required; Salt to taste

ABOUT Sepu Vadi (Split Urad Dal Dumplings in Spinach Gravy) RECIPE

Sepu vadi is a specialty from Himachal Pradesh. Split Black urad dal dumplings are first steamed and then deep-fried. They are then added to the spinach-curd gravy, that is flavored with basic spices powders and whole spices. Traditionally the recipe is cooked in mustard oil, but you can use any cooking oil.

Ingredients Serving: 2

For the dumplings (vadi):
½ cup split black urad dal (split black gram)
1-2 green chillies, chopped
An inch piece of ginger
Salt to taste
Pinch of eno/ cooking soda
¼ teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon oil for greasing + oil for frying vadis
For the gravy:
200 grams spinach
1 cup curd/ dahi
1 tablespoon mustard oil/ any cooking oil
1 broken dry red chili, deseeded
2 cloves/ laung
1 cinnamon stick/ dalchini
2 green cardamom/ hari elaichi
1 bay leaf/ tejpatta
½ teaspoon cumin seeds/ jeera
1 green chilli, cut into 2 pieces or finely chopped
Pinch of asafoetida/ hing
1 teaspoon coriander/ dhania powder
1 teaspoon jeera/ cumin powder
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
¼ teaspoon fennel/ saunf powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
1 teaspoon dill leaves/ suwa
Water, as required
Salt to taste

Instructions

For the dumplings (vadi) :
Wash and soak urad daal (split black gram) in about 1.5- 2 cups water overnight.
Drain and wash the dal.
Heat water in a steamer and let it boil.
In a blender/ grinder jar, combine washed and drained urad dal, ginger, green chilli and grind to make a smooth paste adding about ¼ cup water gradually.
Take the paste in a bowl and add salt. Whisk well till it becomes light and fluffy.
Add eno and lemon juice and immediately transfer the mixture to a greased plate and steam for about 15-20 minutes.
Remove from steamer and insert a toothpick to check whether it’s done. If toothpick comes out clean, our vadi is ready. If it doesn’t come out clean, steam for another few minutes.
Cut the vadis into square pieces.
Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the vadi pieces till they’re golden in colour.
For the palak puree:
Soak palak leaves in a bowl of water and pinch of salt for about 5 minutes.
Remove the stems from the leaves. Roughly chop the leaves.
Add water in a wide pan and bring to a boil. Then add spinach leaves and cook for 2 minutes.
Immediately remove and soak the leaves in a bowl of ice cold water for 1 minute. Drain all the excess water.
In a mixer/ blender jar, add blanched palak leaves, dill leaves and about 1-2 tablespoon water and blend till you get a smooth puree.
Keep the spinach puree aside.
For the gravy:
Heat oil in a pan. Add dry red chilli, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf and cumin seeds.
Once they splutter, add green chilli and hing.
Now turn off the flame and add jeera powder, dhaniya powder, red chili powder, fennel powder and black pepper powder. Mix well. Turn on the flame and saute for 1-2 minutes on a low flame so that spice powders does not burn.
Add spinach puree and cook for about 2-3 minutes.
Now add salt, whisked curd and the fried sepu vadis and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes. At this stage, you may add required quantity of water as per the consistency of gravy you prefer.
Serve hot with parathas or steamed rice.

Similar Recipes