Air Fryer Cabbage Vadai | Lentil Fritters

8 fritters arranged in a black round plate

5 from 36 votes

Air Fryer Cabbage Vadai | Lentil Fritters

Deep fried snacks are everyone's favorite, but if we can have the same flavor in a healthier way, it is guilt free indulgence. These Cabbage Vadai / lentil fritters made in the air fryer is just that and they are so simple to make.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Soaking time2

Total Time2 25

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 56kcal

Author: Sandhya Ramakrishnan

Equipment

Air Fryer
Food Processor

Ingredients

1 cup Chana Dal / Kadalai Paruppu
⅓ cup Toor Dal / Tuvaram Paruppu
2 tablespoon Urad Dal / Ullutham Paruppu
2 cups Cabbage chopped
3 Green chilies
4 Red chilies
¼ teaspoon Asafetida
Few Curry Leaves
to taste Salt
1 tablespoon oil

Instructions

Soak the lentils together for couple of hours and drain them.
Grind the soaked lentils into a coarse paste in a food processor or blender adding the chilies, salt and asafetida.
Add the chopped cabbage and curry leaves to the ground batter and mix well.
Shape them into flat circles and keep it ready.
Preheat the air fryer at 380 F for about 3 minutes.
Spray the basket with a thin layer of oil.
Arrange the shaped vadai in the air fryer.
Fry for 10 minutes and then flip the vadai and fry for about 5 minutes or until they are evenly brown.

Notes

Expert Tips

Soak the lentils together for not more than couple of hours. If you are planning on grinding the batter a little later, drain the lentils after soaking in a colander. If it soaks too long, the batter will be very smooth and the texture of the vadai / fritter will be different.
Grind the batter for the vadai coarsely. My mom always placed a bit of whole lentils (soaked) aside and added them to the ground batter for the crunchy texture.
Do not add much water at all when grinding. I will highly recommend draining the lentils in a colander after soaking for few minutes and then grinding it.
Food processor works the best for grinding this batter.
Add the cabbage right before you are ready to make the vadai. If added earlier, it will let out water and the batter will become loose.
Shape the vadai / fritter thin as it helps in faster cooking. Also keep the shape and size of all the vadais similar as it helps in even cooking.
Spray or brush the vadai with oil for even frying.
Do not over crowd the basket of the air fryer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this batter be used for deep frying - Absolutely, this recipe is originally made and used for deep frying. Air frying is a new technique to make it healthier.
Can I use any other vegetable for the batter - Onion is a very popular and delicious addition to the batter. We can also add dill leaves, mint and cilantro, Banana flowers / vazhaipoo to the same lentil batter.
Can I store the vadai batter to use later - I usually fry it just when we are ready to eat. Yes, you can store the batter for few hours outside or if longer, keep it in the refrigerator. Just make sure that you add the vegetables before frying as it adds moisture to the batter.

Nutrition