Medu Vada or ulundhu vada is a popular South Indian breakfast item. Medu vada is a savoury donut made from urad dal. Medu vadas are crispy and golden brown on the outside and soft and spongy on the inside. Typically it is served with idli and the idli vada combination with chutney and sambar is the popular breakfast in many households.
I'm pretty sure it is a crime to not eat crispy fried food when it rains. Flashes my childhood memories when cousin's gather, it's a tradition in our house to make otta vada ( medu vada, all 90's kids are pretty sure of this name ). As days goes on my munching starts asking mumma can u do the hot donuts ( medu vada in their slang ).
Medu vada is related to the softness yet the crispness it has while eating. As Diwali is around the corner grab the ingredients which is available in your pantry and try it out with few simple tips to have a crunchy munchy medu vadas.
Soaking Time : 3 hrs
Preparation Time : 40 mins
Cooking Time : 20 mins
Total Time : 4 hrs
Ingredients :
Urad dal - 1 cup
Rice - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - A pinch
Chilli - 1, finely chopped
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Shallots - 6-7, finely chopped
Curry leaves - A string, finely chopped
Salt - As required
Method :
Wash the urad dal and rice thoroughly. Soak them in water for around 3 hours.
Drain the water from the dal and while draining stock up 1 glass of water. Grind the dal to a fine batter by sprinkling from the stocked up water now and then. Use as less water as possible. The batter should be thick. It takes around 40 mins for grinding to a smooth fluffy batter. ( Fluffy batter can be checked by grabbing some batter and dropping in the grinder if sound pops then perfect. My grand-mom used to say we can check the perfect batter by the sounds of stone in the grinder).
Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying the vadas.
While the oil heats up, add the green chilli, pepper powder, asafoetida, shallots and salt to the batter. Beat them well to be combined. The beating helps to incorporate air into the batter which makes them even more fluffy.
If the batter is watery, add little rice flour .
To check the consistency of the batter drop a small droplet of batter in a bowl of water if the droplet floats it's perfect to make vadas.
Once the oil is hot, drop a small ball size batter into the oil if it comes to top at once you drop them to oil turn to high-medium flame, wet your hands and take a small ball size batter onto your fingers, make a hole in the centre.
Gently drop the vada in the oil.
Fry until the vada becomes golden brown on both the side.
Serve the hot vada with coconut chutney and sambar.
Pictorial :
Your ingredients.
Wash the urad dal and rice thoroughly. Soak them in water for around 3 hours.
Grind the dal to a fine batter by sprinkling from the stocked up water now and then. Use as less water as possible. The batter should be thick. It takes around 40 mins for grinding to a smooth fluffy batter.
Add in the green chilli, pepper powder, asafoetida, shallots and salt to the batter. Beat them well to be combined. The beating helps to incorporate air into the batter which makes them even more fluffy. If the batter is watery, add little rice flour .
Once the oil is hot, drop a small ball size batter into the oil if it comes to top at once you drop them to oil turn to high-medium flame, wet your hands and take a small ball size batter onto your fingers, make a hole in the centre.
Gently drop the vada in the oil.
Fry until the vada becomes golden brown on both the side.
Serve the hot vada with coconut chutney and sambar.
Notes :
Peppercorns can be added instead of pepper powder.
While grinding the fluffy batter can be checked by grabbing some batter and dropping in the grinder if sound pops then perfect. My grand-mom used to say we can check the perfect batter by the sounds of stone in the grinder