Sambhar Wadi is a deep-fried snack that can be best described as small parcels with a delicious coriander filling encased in a besan + wheat flour covering. It is traditionally eaten with Kadhi.
Turn off the heat, and immediately add 3 cups of chopped coriander, and mix well. The coriander will wilt a bit in the heat.
Transfer the mix to a plate and set aside to cool. If you leave the mix in the hot pan, it will continue to cook and the coriander will lose its freshness.
Making the Covering
To a bowl, add 1 cup Besan, 1/2 Cup Wheat Flour, 2 tbsp rice flour (optional), 1/2 tsp crushed Ajwain, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, and 1/2 tsp salt.
Mix all the dry ingredients together till well-incorporated.
Now, heat 2 tbsp oil.
Add this hot oil to the dry mix, and use a spoon to mix.
While the mix is still warm, use your fingers and mix till the oil is well-mixed into the flour.
Now gradually add a little water at a time and form a firm but pliable dough. I needed about 1/4 cup and 2 tbsp of water. Do not make the dough soft or it will absorb a lot of oil when you fry.
Roll into a ball.
Add 1/4 tsp of oil to the bowl and then roll the dough ball in it so that it is well-covered.
Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Shaping the Sambhar Wadi
Keep aside a pea sized ball of the dough
Grease your palms with a few drops of oil. Do this every time you feel that your palms or the dough is dry when handling the dough.
Roll the covering dough into a log about 8" long.
Divide into 12 equal parts.
Grease your palms with a few drops of oil and roll each portion into a ball.
Keep the dough balls covered. I used a damp cotton cloth to cover the dough balls.
Take one dough ball and with a gentle hand roll it into a circle of about 5" in diameter. Do not dust the rolling board with any flour. If need be lightly oil the rolling surface.
Place 1.5 tbsp of the filling in the centre in the form on a rectangle.
Dip your forefinger in water and run it around the edges of the circle.
Fold the two opposite sides of the covering over the filling and press lightly to seal it. At this stage, you will have a cylinder.
Fold over the ends of the cylinder to close them and once again, press gently to form a completely closed parcel.
Shape all the Sambhar Wadis.
Keep all the Sambhar Wadis covered with a damp cloth till you are ready to fry them.
Frying the Sambhar Wadi
To a deep kadhai, add enough oil to fry the Sambhar Vadis. My oil formed about a 3" layer.
Over medium flame, heat the oil.
To test the heat of the oil, add a small pinch of the covering dough to it. The dough should slowly rise to the surface and sizzle there. It should not turn brown immediately.
Gently slide 1 or 2 Sambhar Wadis into the oil.
Let them fry for a few seconds and then flip them over using a slotted ladle.
When the Sambhar Wadi is light golden brown on both sides, use a slotted ladle to take them out of the oil and let any extra oil drain off.
Transfer to a plate to cool.
Repeat the process to fry all the wadis.
Serving Ideas
Place a Sambhar Wadi in a Bowl and pour some warm Kadhi over it.
Serve Sambhar Wadis with Tamarind chutney.
Notes
I used some rice flour in the covering to give the covering some crispness.