Vazhaipoo Vadai in Air Fryer / Banana Flower Fritters

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Vazhiapoo Vadai is a delicious South Indian Tea Time Snack made Guilt free in an Air Fryer. Low Oil, great in taste and ideal for monsoon snacking.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Indian, South Indian

Keyword Banana Flower recipes, South Indian Snacks, Tea Time Snack Recipe, Vazhaipoo Vadai

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 30

Total Time 2 30

Servings people

1 cup Chana Dal (Split Chickpeas) 1 cup is 250 ml measurement
1 cup Finely Chopped Vazhaipoo / Banana Flower or Banana Blossom 1 cup is 250 ml measurement
2 tbsp Rice Flour
2 nos Onions finely chopped Medium size onions used
1 tbsp Fennel seeds or Saunf
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/4 tsp Hing or Asafoetida Skip this ingredient to make the recipe Gluten Free
2-3 nos. Sprigs of Curry leaves torn
2 tsp Oil + More for Brushing / Air frying as required
Salt to taste

Wash the chana dal twice and soak for 2 hours. Drain the water completely. Set aside 2 tblsp of chana dal and coarsely grind the remaining dal without any water.
In a bowl add the ground chana dal, onions, saunf, red chilli powder, finely chopped vazhai poo, salt to taste, hing and curry leaves. Mix well.
Preheat the Air Fryer at 200 degrees C for 10 minutes.
To the bowl, add rice flour and 2 tsps of oil. Mix well and shape them into patties
Once the Air Fryer has preheated, place the patties carefully on the mesh and apply oil with the help of brush
Air Fry the vadais at 180 degree C for 8 minutes and then remove, turn over the patties, apply oil and cook again at 180 degrees for 10 minutes until crips on the edges
Repeat the process and air fry the balance vadais in the similar manner.

This measurement yields 14 nos. small size vadais as show in the pictures above.
It is important to preheat your Air Fryer. Do not skip this step.
Adding rice flour makes vadais crispy and balances the moisture to an extent in the air fryer, making it crunchy and less soggy.
Onions tend to leave some moisture, making it slightly difficult to pat the vadais for the 2nd batch. In case you face any issue, add a tsp of rice flour, mix and pat.
No baking soda / cornflour / breadcrumbs are added while making the vadai.
The recipe is vegan but not gluten free since there is hing.
I have used sesame oil for the entire process (brushing and adding to the batter). It imparts a lovely aroma and we generally fry vadais too in sesame oil at home for pooja, functions etc.