Alasanda vada or lobia vada – Black eyed pea are called as Lobia in hindi, Alasandalu or Bobbarlu in Telugu, Alsandhi in Kannada and so on. They are well known as a health food, since they are low in fat and calories, high in protein and fibre. Alasanda vada or lobia vada is one of the popular crispy snack that is prepared specially during the festival Sankranthi all over Andhra Pradesh and is a street food too.
Lobia or alasandulu are often used to make lobia curry or a biryani or pulao.
Traditionally alasanda vada are served with a Chicken curry. For vegetarians a coconut chutney or tomato chutney tastes great as well. Alasanda vada or lobia vada can be baked or can be deep fried. I have given the method for both.
You may also like to check these vada recipes
Medhu vada or garelu
Sabudana Vada
Masala vada
Dal vada
Alasanda vada recipe or lobia vada recipe card below
Alasanda vada recipe | Lobia vada | Black eyed pea fritters
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
- 2 cups black eyed peas / soaked alasandalu / lobia/
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- 1 ½ tbsp rice flour (optional, use if soaked Lobia for more than 4 hrs)
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 Fistful coriander leaves , chopped
- 1/4 cup onions , chopped. (gives a very good aroma)
- Oil for deep frying or for brushing over the vada for baking
How to make the recipe
- Wash & soak alasandalu or lobia for 4 to 6 hours. Drain water thoroughly. Grind ½ of the lobia to a semi smooth paste (though not to coarse) and the other ½ to a coarse paste with very little water and enough salt. I used 25 ml water. Do not add too much water, else they will not turn out to be crispy.
- Make sure that there are no left over whole alasandalu, they can burst while frying. If you opt for deep frying.
- Mix all the other ingredients except oil.
- Grease a cling wrap or a plastic sheet or a foil. Or can even grease your palm and make alasanda vada or patties and proceed further. Traditionally they are made with a hole in the center for quick and even cooking. Can even make without if you are not comfortable doing so.
- If opting for deep fried alasanda vada, heat the oil till hot, medium the flame and fry these vada / patties evenly by flipping them to both the sides. Do not crowd your fry pan. Fry these till you feel they are cooked fully, usually a medium flame and frying for 3 to 4 mins wil do perfect for me, but this depends on the size of your vada. If you try this on a high flame, they can be browned faster without being cooked inside. Once fried properly, drain them on a kitchen tissue. To keep them crispy for longer time, refry them for a min.
- If you like to go for the baking alasanda vada, make the vadas with a hole in the center. Preheat the oven to 220 C, place theses alasanda vada on a greased baking tray. Brush them with oil, this is done to avoid dryness and to get a crisp texture. Bake them for 12 to 15 mins on one side and for 4 to 6 mins on the other side. This depends on the size of the vadas you make.for the first side keep checking after 12 mins and the other side after 4 mins. Take care not to burn and make sure they are cooked fully.
NUTRITION (estimation only)
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
If you are new to cooking, follow my detailed step by step photo instructions for best results.
step by step photos on alasanda vada recipe
Lincy John says
Followed your recipe and made lobia vada, came out very tasty just like all the other recipes of yours I’ve tried so far. My family, especially my kids (4yrs & 6 yrs old), loved them.
I added very little green chilli (I couldn’t find green chilli and salt in the list of ingredients, you might want to check that) and a bit of Kashmiri mirch powder.
swasthi says
Hi Lincy John,
So glad to know you all loved them. yes I will recheck and update the recipe. Thanks for the mention.
🙂
Vinaya says
Hi, I tried the baked version of the vada. It was very hard after a couple of hours. Is there a way to get soft wadas or crispy ones but not hard?
swasthi says
Hi Vinaya
They have to be consumed right out of the oven. I haven’t tried any time keeping for long. If served immediately they taste good.
Vinaya says
Thanks for the response!
dhruvyan says
Hi Did you use onions.I may be mistaken but it looks like onions in the picture but there is no mention of it in the ingredients!
Swasthi says
Thanks for Pointing it out Dhruvyan! i have used onions, forgot to mention in the ingredient list, i have updated it now.
PT says
liked both the versions..
Priya Sreeram says
loved the baked version of it- must have been a guilt free indulgence
Reshmi Mahesh says
Wow…These look perfect, healthy and yummy…Feel to grab one…
Saraswathi Tharagaram says
Delectable and healthy vadas…Love this guilt free version..Kudos to your click dear..
Suja Manoj says
Yummy and healthy snack,interesting recipe.
Shailaja Reddy says
Baking is interesting.This is my fav. Yummy.
kitchen queen says
O M G the lobia vadas look too tempting and crispy too.
Nupur says
I have never tried making vada, let alone Lobia or baked version.. What a lazy cow I am 🙁
However tempting the fried version looks,
I will first try the baked one and get back t oyou with the result 😉
Sanoli Ghosh says
Yummy yum, new idea of baked vada. Looks fabulous dear.
tamilsasikitchen says
Yummy vada…Healthy too…Lovely picture…