Street food of Old Delhi - Kalmi Vada | lentil fritters

It is an undeniable fact that for good authentic chaat there is nothing comparable to what one gets in Chandni Chowk, a market in Delhi, dating back to the Mughal era. Though one has to traverse through narrow streets and a sea of humanity but the food shops here, some of which have been around for over a century, make it worth the effort. A walk through its meandering alleys will lead to some of the most delicious street food. There are small hole in the corner shops and khomchewalas (street hawker) at each nukkad (corner) which do not figure in any food guide list or may not be well known but serve equally delectable stuff. From golgappas to aloo tikkis, kalmi vadas, aloo-kachoris,dahi bhalle, papri chaat to seasonal delicacies like fruit kulfis - here you get all the Purani Dilli (Old Delhi) specialities and much more to feast on.

                                                                                                                                                         

Kalmi vada is a crisp and spicy lentil based patty which is double fried. It can be served either as a chaat wherein it is topped with curd and saunth (sweet tamarind chutney) and masala is sprinkled on top. It also makes for a good finger food which can be prepared in advance and is a perfect accompaniment to drinks.

This recipe for Kalmi vada is from Geetaji who is my neighbor. Her family is originally from Old Delhi and like any old illustrious baniya family takes a lot of pride in their vegetarian cuisine.Their food infuses me with a sense of nostalgia as it brings back memories of a bygone era when the masalas were hand grounded and there was a lot of emphasis on freshly prepared meals, and there used to be a maharaj in every household for cooking. Geetaji herself is a very good cook and rustles up traditional baniya food with all the desi flavors intact, in a jiffy. Kalmi vada is an age old snack of our forefather's times -  it is now not so easily available and is becoming elusive even in the streets of Old Delhi.

Kalmi vada

2 cups chana dal (Split Bengal Gram)

2 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped

2 tablespoon green chillies, finely chopped

2 tablespoon saboot dhania (whole coriander seeds)

3-4 whole dried red chillies

2 tablespoon kasturi methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

1 tablespoon black pepper, coarsely ground

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

Soak the chana dal overnight.Next day strain the dal ( lentil ) so that the water gets drained out completely. Then grind it without adding any water to it or at the most a couple of spoons of water. The paste should be grainy in texture /coarsely ground but without any solid dal pieces showing up. Now add the chopped ginger, green chillies, saboot dhania, kastoori methi, black pepper, break each of the red chillies into 3-4 pieces and add to the mixture and finally add salt. Mix everything well so that the spices get blended in the paste. Taste, and adjust the seasoning to your liking.

 

The dal paste with all the spices

Heat up oil in the kadai (wok). Shape the dal mixture into evenly sized and flattened round patties and slide into the hot oil.

Mixture in a patty shape

Deep fry the patty from both sides till it firms up and turns golden brown then remove from the wok and keep aside. 

Kalmi vada after first frying

Leave the patties to cool down. Then slice into finger sized 1/2 inch thick pieces and fry them in hot oil till they turn crisp. Sprinkle some chaat masala on top and serve hot with coriander chutney or ketchup.

The patties can even be made a couple of days in advance and kept in the refrigerator. When required cut them into pieces, deep fry and serve