How to make Kale Vadai | Kale Fritters

Newspaper Cones and Cutting Chai

Deep-fried fritters in perfect-sized bites served in newspaper cones along with cutting chai is a heavenly combo sold in tea kadais (tea shops) in Tamil Nadu. These fritters are called Masala Vadais. These South Indian fried deliciousness are very similar to the Mediterranean falafel with a crunchier, spicier note to it.

Onions and Curry Leaves

I never liked it growing up. The smell of onions always made me cringe. The pungent flavor of the onions combined with fried curry leaves was too strong for my young, underdeveloped nose. Fast forward to 2021, as a full-grown adult, I live for this stuff. I love curry leaves to the point where I have modified a lot of my South Indian recipes to include this leaf. And don’t even get me started on onions. Aren’t they the quintessential base for recipes from any culture??

In recipes like Kuzhambu (South Indian thick stew), these ingredients have the reigning crown over all the others. Do check out my post on how to make a traditional Vathal Kuzhambu with Butternut Squash! The sweetness of the squash combined with the spices makes for an explosion of flavors in your mouth!

Swapping with Kale

There are so many options you can include or remove to make your Masala Vadais. There is one particular option that uses any type of green called Keera Vadai. It really doesn’t taste any different to me. Just as delicious as the original. As I ground the batter for masala vadais the other day, I paused just before chopping the onions. The Vadais would taste heavenly with crunchy kale running through it. Kale has a unique flavor to it almost bordering on garlicky when baked or fried as chips. Incidentally, I had baby kale lying around in my refrigerator. Voila! Kale Vadais were born out of it!

Of course, do not forget the chai! Speaking of, have you tried chai with oat milk? It is seriously delicious, if not better with Oat milk! Here is a video clip on how to make it on my Instagram Page!