Keerai Vadai Recipe / Spinach Vada – Ponnanganni Keerai Recipes

March 6, 2025 | By
Keerai vadai

Recently when I went to my in-laws place, my MIL gave me lots of Ponnanganni keerai (Dwarf copperleaf / joyweed/ Sessile joyweed – pink variety. Generally known as water amaranth) grown in our garden.. I made sambar and kootu but still I had some left in my fridge. Its been a long time I am planning to make masala vada with spinach. So I tried this vada for first time.It was super cripsy , flavourful and yet soft inside.. We loved it.  My doter had 2 vadas. This shows the success of this recipe. 

keerai vada 3
INGREDIENTS
 1 cup – 200ml
  • Ponnanganni keerai / Any greens– 1/2 cup
  • Chana dal – 1/2 cup
  • Red chillies – 3-4 nos
  • Jeera – 1/2 tsp
  • Hing – 1/4 tsp
  • Small onion – 10-15 nos (chopped roughly)
  • Mint leaves – 1 handful
  • Coriander leaves – 1 handful
  • Curry leaves – few
  • Salt & water – as needed
  • Fennel seeds – 1 tsp (optional)
METHOD
  • Soak channa dal for 2 hours. Drain the water and grind along with red chillies,hing, salt &amp ,jeera and 2 tsp of water..
  • First run the chillies,salt and hing together.Then add the soaked channa dal and run once or twice.The dal should be coarsely ground.Some dal would be visible..
  • Wash and chop the greens finely..Set aside.
  • Mix the keerai , onions , mint leaves and coriander leaves,curry leaves in a  bowl and check for salt. No need to add water.
  • Heat oil in a deep frying pan and add a tbsp of hot oil to the vada batter. This helps in making the shape of vada properly and gives crispiness to the vada.
  • Mix the batter and take a small ball shaped batter.
  • Keep in the center of palm and pat it little to make thick patties.
  • Deep fry in hot oil. To check the right temperature of oil , just drop a bit of batter. It raises immediately..
  • Now drop the vadas one by one and cook in simmer flame for even cooking.
  • Flip the vadas after a few mins and cook on the other side.
  • Make in batches..Remove the vadas and serve hot !

Enjoy
with tea or with rice as an accompaniment like we had!!
keerai vadai 1
NOTE
  • If you are planning to make masala vada , just follow the same recipe except spinach.
  • Adding fennel seeds gives a nice flavour but I couldn’t use as my hubby doesn’t like its taste..
  • I used pink variety keerai and I just ground the keerai once along with channa dal. So my vada was slighlty brownish yellow in color.
  • U can make this vada with any greens..The point is just chop it very finely..Mulai keerai, arai keerai , siru keerai , murungai keerai can be used here..
  • Usually we add channa, toor and urad dal for masala vada . We call tat as “MUPARUPPU VADA”..But my mom told me to make with channa dal alone.. Yes , adding channa dal alone gives a nice , crispy vadas..

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19 thoughts on “Keerai Vadai Recipe / Spinach Vada – Ponnanganni Keerai Recipes”

  1. Menaga Sathia

    கீரை வடை செய்து ரொம்ப நாளாச்சு..ஞாபகபடுத்திட்டீங்க,ரொம்ப நல்லாயிருக்கு…..

    Reply
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