South Indian Snack
Vada
Ratings & commentsCrisp-outside, fluffy-inside medu vada: fried urad dal doughnuts flavoured with onion, green chilli and curry leaf. Vegan and gluten-free.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Hands-on
- 40 min
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Heat
- Gently spiced
Plan ahead: Soak the urad dal for 4 hours.
About this Vada
Medu vada is the savoury doughnut of South India: a ring of ground urad dal batter, crisp and golden on the outside and soft within. It is the perfect partner for sambar and chutney, or simply dunked in rasam. The trick is a stiff, well-whipped batter.
Ingredients
- 300 gUrad Dal, split and skinned
- 100 gOnions, very finely chopped
- 10 gGreen Chillies, finely chopped
- 5 gCurry Leaves, chopped
- 3 gBlack Pepper, crushed
- 8 gSalt
- 120 mlVegetable Oil, you need about 500 ml in the pan for deep frying; roughly a quarter is absorbed
Plus water and a little salt to taste.
How to prepare Vada
Soak the urad dal in cold water for 4 hours, then drain thoroughly.
Grind with just 2-3 tablespoons of cold water at a time to a thick, fluffy batter. It should hold its shape on a spoon.
Beat the batter with your hand for a minute to incorporate air. Fold in the onions, green chillies, curry leaves, pepper and salt.
Heat the oil in a deep pan to 175 C (a drop of batter should rise to the surface in a few seconds).
Wet your palm, take a lemon-sized portion of batter, flatten it and poke a hole through the centre with your thumb.
Slide it into the oil and fry 3-4 vadas at a time for 4-5 minutes, turning, until deep golden and crisp.
Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with sambar and coconut chutney.
Tips
- Keep your hand wet so the batter does not stick as you shape each vada.
- If the batter feels runny, add a spoonful of rice flour or semolina - but grinding with less water in the first place avoids this.
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