One of the things we all look forward to at the holidays, regardless of which religious holiday or festival it is, is the food! With Holi/Phagwah being celebrated this coming week, we’ll be looking forward to all the delicious fried snacks that will be made and shared – bara, biganee, aloo balls, pholourie, and saheena among others. All to be eaten with some sort of hot spicy chutney, sour or pepper sauce.
Given the influence of our cuisine, these savoury fried snacks are categorised as Vada/s, with roots in South Indian cuisine. Vada/s are fritters, cutlets, and dumplings. Most Vada/s are made with some type of quick-cooking legume along with spices and other ingredients like ginger, curry leaves, fresh coconut, and herbs.