MEDU VADA Medu vada is a popular south Indian breakfast also known as garlic or vadai. They are doughnut-shaped fried dumplings made with lentils. This post shares tips & tricks to make the best crispy yet fluffy vada at home using a mixer grinder (blender).
Prep Time: 4 hours
- 15 minutes Cook Time
- 25 minutes Total Time
- 4 hours 40 minutes
- Servings 15
INGREDIENTS (1 CUP = 240ML )
- 1 cup urad dal (or skinned black gram)
- ⅓ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- Ice cold water
- Oil for deep frying
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon peppercorn (crushed coarsely)
- 2 to 3 green chilies (chopped)
- 4 tablespoon onions (chopped) (1 small)
- 1 sprig of curry leaves (chopped)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 teaspoon ginger fine grated
HOW TO MAKE THE RECIPE
Preparation
- Wash dal several times and soak in a lot of water for at least 4 to 5 hrs.
- Drain the water completely and transfer the dal to a mixer grinder jar. If you have a wet grinder, you can use it.
- Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of water. Next, add salt and start grinding.
- Next scrape off the sides and then grind again. Whenever needed sprinkle only as much as 1 ½ tsps. Ice cold water evenly
- Again continue to grind to a coarse thick batter. Ensure your grinder does not become hot.
- Sprinkle water. Grind again till the batter looks fluffy and white.
- Transfer this to a bowl. Aerate the batter by beating it with your hand in a clockwise direction for 30 to 60 seconds.
- Test the batter if it is aerated well. Drop a small batter ball in a bowl full of water.
- The ball has to float meaning it is light. This is needed to get fluffy Medu vada.
- If the batter doesn’t float well, means either the batter is runny or is not aerated well. Read the notes below to know what to do with runny batter.
- If the batter is in the right consistency still it is not floating well. Then beat the batter once more.
- Add crushed pepper, cumin, ginger, curry leaves, green chilies, and onions. Mix everything well.
How to make Medu vada
- Heat oil in a deep heavy bottom Kadai or pan on medium heat till hot enough.
- Drop a small amount of batter to check if the oil is hot. The batter raises if the oil is hot enough.
- Dip your fingers in water or oil to moisten your fingers. Water should not be dripping.
- Take small portions of batter. Shape to a ball slightly flattens with the thumb.
- Dip the thumb in water, again no dripping water. Make a hole in the center.
- Gently slide the vada in the hot oil by gently shaking off the fingers.
- Or place the ball on a greased sheet. Flatten it slightly and make a hole in the center.
- If the oil becomes too hot, regulate the flame to medium.
- Moisten your fingers again. Lift the corner part of the sheet and transfer the vada onto your fingers. Then drop it just by shaking your fingers.
- Fry Medu vada till they turn golden on both sides.
- Make them and fry them in batches till you use up all the batter. In between every batch, wait till the oil heats up, if not hot.
- Serve Medu vada with coconut chutney or tiffin sambar
FacebookWhatsAppLinkedInTwitterShare