This Air-Fryer Poha Vada recipe is easy, quick, without potatoes, and perfect for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack. Poha Vada is super crispy on the outside and with a soft but crunchy interior!
Diet Healthy, Jain, No Onion No Garlic, Vegetarian
Servings 10Vada
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Ingredients
2cupsthick Poha(pressed rice)
2teaspoonoil
2tablespoonchana dal
2tablespoonurad dal
1tablespoonraw peanuts(roughly crushed)
1teaspoonmustard seeds
½teaspoongreen chili paste or to taste
1teaspoongrated ginger
2tablespoonfinely chopped green pepper(optional)
Salt to taste
½teaspoonsugar
1tablespoonfinely chopped coriander leaves
2tablespoonyogurt
Instructions
Place the Poha into a colander or strainer. Wash them thoroughly under running water until the water runs clear.
Once the Poha is completely drained, transfer them to a mixing bowl. Then mash the Poha with your hands properly.
Now heat oil in a small frying pan. Add chana dal, urad dal, crushed peanuts, and mustard seeds. When the dals and peanuts are golden brown, and mustard seeds splutter, turn off the heat.
Pour this Tadka into the bowl of Poha. Then add chili, ginger, salt, sugar, green pepper, coriander leaves, and yogurt and mix everything well. Taste the Poha mixture and adjust the salt if you need to.
Take a spoonful of mixture and make a ball, then flatten it slightly to shape like a tikki. Continue with the rest of the mixture and make tikkis.
If you can not shape the tikki, sprinkle a few drops of water or add a little yogurt to the mixture.
Preheat the air fryer to 380°F for 5 minutes. Place the Vada in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Lightly spray or brush the oil on the Vada.
Air fry the Poha Vada at 380°F for 15-16 minutes or until they are golden brown on both sides. Make sure to check and flip the Vada halfway through the air frying.
Remove Poha Vada from the air fryer and transfer them to the serving plate. Serve the Air Fryer Poha Vada immediately with your choice of chutney or tomato ketchup.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the Air Fryer Poha Vada hot or warm with ketchup or with the chutney.
Serve the Vada for breakfast, afternoon, and after-school snacks or as an appetizer for a party or get-together.
Notes
Poha: Use only thick Poha (pressed rice), and do not sub with thin variety.
Green Pepper: You can skip adding green pepper if you want. Or add some chopped celery or cabbage instead.
Green Chili Paste: Add green chili paste as per your taste. Instead of paste, you can also add finely chopped green chilis.
Sugar: Do not skip it, as sugar will enhance the flavors without making the Vada sweet.
Make It Vegan: Yogurt works as a binding agent in this recipe. But to make vegan Poha Vada, you can skip yogurt or add dairy-free yogurt. So for binding, instead of yogurt, you can sprinkle little water on the Poha mixture until it comes together. However, be careful while adding water, as much water will make the mixture soggy.
Poha Vada Mixture: If the Poha mixture is crumbly and it is hard to shape the Vada, sprinkle a few drops of water until everything combines well. Or, instead of water, you can add a little more yogurt to bind the mixture.
Air Frying: The time of air frying may vary depending on the type of air fryer. So, adjust the time and fry the Vada until they are golden brown and crispy outside.