Ingredients
Batter
- 300 gurad dal, skinned and split
- 1 tspsalt
- cold water, as little as possible
To add
- 1thumb ginger, finely chopped
- 3green chillies, finely chopped
- 10curry leaves, chopped
- 1 tspblack peppercorns, coarsely crushed
- 1 tspcumin seeds
- a handful of coriander, chopped
- 1small onion, finely chopped, if wanted
- a pinch of asafoetida
For frying
- 1 litrevegetable oil
To serve
- sambar
- coconut chutney
- tomato chutney
Directions
- Rinse the urad dal several times until the water runs clear. Cover it with cold water and soak it for four hours. Do not soak it overnight, since oversoaked dal makes a slack batter.
- Drain it thoroughly and let it sit in the sieve for ten minutes. A wet batter will not hold a shape and will drink oil. Grind the drained dal in a wet grinder or a food processor. Start it without any water at all. Add water only a tablespoon at a time when it refuses to move. You should need no more than about eighty millilitres in total.
- Keep grinding for eight to ten minutes. The batter should go from grainy to smooth and then to light and fluffy. Drop a small amount of batter into a bowl of cold water. It should float on the surface within a second or two.
- Beat it hard with your hand or a whisk for two minutes. Beat in one direction, lifting the batter as you go. Adding the flavourings is done last. Fold in the ginger, chilli, curry leaves and crushed pepper. Add the cumin, coriander, asafoetida and salt. Add the chopped onion now if you are using it.
- Salt is added only just before frying, since it slackens the batter if it sits. Fold gently so you do not knock the air out. Heat the oil in a deep pan to about 175C. Test with a drop of batter: it should rise steadily and sizzle.
- Take a lime-sized ball of batter onto your wet palm. Flatten it slightly into a thick disc. Work the hole open to about two centimetres. Keep your hand wet, since dry hands make the batter stick. A piece of wet baking paper is easier if the hand method defeats you.
- Shape it on the paper and slide it into the oil. Frying them takes a few minutes each. Fry three or four at a time without crowding the pan. Fry them for about four minutes on the first side. Turn them once when the underside is deep golden. Fry the second side for another three or four minutes. Do not turn them repeatedly, which makes them absorb oil.
- Lift them onto a rack lined with paper. Let the oil come back to temperature between batches. Serving them is done immediately and hot. Serve them straight from the pan with sambar and chutney. Many people soak them briefly in hot sambar before eating.
Technique
- Use as little water as possible when grinding, since a wet batter will not hold its shape.
- Test the batter in cold water: it must float, or the vadas will be dense.
- Add the salt only just before frying, as it slackens the batter if it sits.
Substitutions
- A food processor in place of a wet grinder, worked patiently.
- Wet baking paper for shaping if the hand method is difficult.
Variations
- With chopped onion through the batter.
- Dahi vada, soaked in seasoned yoghurt.
- Made without the hole, as flat discs.
History
A temple and tiffin-room staple of southern India, served with sambar and coconut chutney at breakfast counters.
Frequently asked questions
What is Medu Vada?
Medu Vada is a breakfast from India: ring-shaped fritters of ground urad dal, crisp outside and fluffy within. A temple and tiffin-room staple of southern India, served with sambar and coconut chutney at breakfast counters.
How long does Medu Vada take to make?
Medu Vada takes 30 min plus 4 hours soaking of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 16 vadas. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Medu Vada?
Yes, within limits. A food processor in place of a wet grinder, worked patiently. Wet baking paper for shaping if the hand method is difficult.
What is the most important thing to get right in Medu Vada?
Rinse the urad dal several times until the water runs clear. Cover it with cold water and soak it for four hours. Do not soak it overnight, since oversoaked dal makes a slack batter.
