Tapioca Vadai/Kappa vadai/Cassava vadai/Kuchi kizhangu vadai

     Another Grandma’s recipe - Tapioca Vadai/Kuchi Kizhangu Vadai recipe. For every summer vacation we used to be in my Grandma's place, those 2 months summer vacation used to fun. Daily evening my grandma used to prepare some tiffin or snack for us. She never uses mixie or grinder, only Ammi kal & Aattukal for all grinding. She was very care taking and affectionate towards me. I feel very proud to be her Grand daughter. She passed away in 2010 but lives in our heart & memories. Sorry I am beyond the topic. Some foods brings out the best memories. 
Tapioca vadai is my favorite, crispy and very yummy vadas. My Grandma makes the best ones, have tried this vadai from tea shops but never got the same taste & flavor. Even my Mom’s preparation will be little different than my Grandma’s. May be because of the Aatukal grinding or her Kai pakuvam.  

Tapioca Root is available in both Indian and US grocery stores here as "Yuca roots". So next time when you visit Grocery store buy this root and try this yummy vadas....

Ingredients
To Grind

1. Yuca root/Tapioca     2 cup(peeled & shredded)
2. Rice/sona masoori    2 cup
3. Dry red chili    7-8 no.s
4. Cumin seeds    1 tbsp
5. Fennel seeds    1 tbsp
6. Asafoetida   1/4 tsp

Other Ingredients

1. Onion 1large(finely chopped) 
2. Ginger 1" piece(finely chopped) 
3. Curry leaves 1 twig(finely chopped) 
4. Coriander leaves few(finely chopped) 
5. Salt as needed 
6. Fennel seeds 1/2 tbsp

    I used 1.28 lb of yuca root, after peeling and shredding got around 2 cups, The amount of rice and the yuva/tapioca  should be equal.

Method

• Grind shredded tapioca, soaked rice, red chillies, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and hing to a thick dough but it should be rawa like in texture. Not a smooth batter.

• Then transfer it to a bowl and add all the ingredients from onion to fennel seeds and mix well. 
• Heat oil in a deep bottomed vessel and when really hot ,wet ur palm take a lime size portion and flatten it gently and make a hole in the center using the finger and drop it carefully into the hot oil. 

• Fry on both sides till golden brown and crispy, do not fry for longtime(it will make the vada hard) 
• Once fried remove and drain it in paper towel. 
• Crispy Tapioca vada are ready, serve hot. 

Note:
fry the vada in medium heat, vadai tastes best when its hot...after cooling it turns slightly chewy & also looses its crispness.
First fry one vada and check for  salt, spice level and texture ...if you feel it little hard add a pinch of cooking soda to the batter ,mix well and fry them.
Its little tough to grind in blenders,so have to add little water....if the batter is not thick then add 1-2 tsp of rice flour.
this vada will taste good with more onions so add more finely chopped onions.