Sri Lankan Isso Vade (prawn vade)

Isso Wade, or "Isso Vade," refers to a popular Sri Lankan snack. "Isso" means prawns or shrimp in Sinhala, which is one of the official languages of Sri Lanka. "vade" refers to deep-fried snacks, often made from lentils or other ingredients.

Isso Wade typically consists of small, deep-fried balls or patties made from a spiced dough containing prawns. These savory snacks are enjoyed for their flavourful combination of spices and the tasty addition of prawns. They are commonly served with chutney or sauce, making them a popular and delicious street food in Sri Lanka. 

(serving: 12)

Ingredients

150g split chickpeas 

3 small shallots or one small onion (chopped)

2 chopped green chilies

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

Finely chopped curry leaves

3/4 cup scraped coconut or dessicated coconut 

120g all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp orange coloring

1/4 tsp red chili powder

1/4 tsp pepper powder

1/2 tsp salt or as per taste

500g green school prawns

Directions

1. Wash the split chickpeas well and soak for 6 hours. 
2. Keep 1/3 cup of the soaked split chickpeas aside. 
3. Grind the rest of the soaked split chickpeas with the chopped onions, green chili, and ginger-garlic paste together. Add 1 tbsp of water if needed. 
4. Add the chopped curry leaves, reserved split chickpeas, scraped coconut, salt, orange colouring, red chili powder, pepper powder and flour. Mix everything well and form a firm dough. 
5. Wash and clean the prawns without removing the head and shell. 
6. Take a portion of split chickpeas mixture, flatten it and place 3 prawns, then press well. Repeat until the mixture is over. 
   
   
   
7. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and deep fry the Isso Vade until golden in color. 
   
   
   

Notes:

• Use school prawns for that authentic look. It’s slightly different from the regular prawns or shrimps we use. It’s white in colour and slim. This is what the street food vendors actually use for Isso Vade. 
  
  
  
• I used desiccated coconut so I had to add 2 tbsp of water to knead the dough. 
• I used powdered orange colouring. Can you any kind of colouring.
• These can be frozen for up to a week. Place the prepared vade on a tray lined with baking paper and wrap them with plastic wrap (film). Let them freeze thoroughly. Once the vade are hardened, transfer them to freezer ziplock bags. Before frying, thaw them for an hour.