MEDU VADA / VADA SAMBAR

Medu Vadas are a traditional South Indian dish which can be served as a main course, side dish or snack. Medu vada is a popular snack that features not just in daily cuisine but is a necessary part of the menu on festivals and puja days.  This crispy deliciousness is made with spiced urad dal batter and fried in dount shape dumplings. They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are served with Sambar and coconut chutney. However, if you are planning to cook medu vada at home for your family getting the shape is always a task. In addition to that it may or may not turn out to be crispy the way we get it in Udipi Restaurants.  

Ingrediants:

2 Cups Urad Dal/ Skinned Split Black Gram

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1 teaspoon Black Peppercorns, whole or crushed (optional)

1 or 2 Sprig Curry Leaves, chopped

1 Onion, finely chopped (optional)

1 or 2 Green Chillies, chopped

1 tablespoon Chopped Ginger

Few Sprigs of Coriander Leaves, chopped (optional)

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Some water if needed to make the batter

Method:

STEP 1 – Soak the urad dal for 4 hours or overnight.

STEP 2 – Drain the urad dal in a colander and remove excess water from the dal.

STEP 3 – Add curry leaves, fresh coriander and green chillies to dal at the time of grinding.

STEP 4 - Grind the dal to a smooth batter with little water if required. [If the batter becomes watery, then the instant relief would be to add some semolina or urad dal flour to it. Otherwise also you could add some semolina to the batter.]

STEP 4 – Add cumin seeds and salt to the batter and mix well. [you may add the chopped curry leaves, coriander and chillies after grinding ]

STEP 5 – Heat oil.

STEP 6 – Take a bowl of water, apply some water from the bowl on both your hands. Take some batter in your hand and give it shape

and make a hole in the center.Make all the vadas likely.

STEP 7 – Gently slid the vadas in to the oil. The oil should be not very hot, but medium hot.

STEP 9 – You want the vadas to be cooked from inside.[ Very hot oil will quickly brown the vadas from outside but they will remain uncooked from inside.]

STEP 11 – Fry all the medu vadas , this way till they become evenly browned and crispy.

STEP 12 – Drain medu vadas on kitchen tissue to remove excess oil.

STEP 13 – Serve the medu vadas, hot or warm with sambar and coconut chutney.

Serve medu vadas hot with sambar, coconut chutney and tomato chutney.

NOTE: If medu vada batter is too thick; the vada will shape nicely but they will be hard inside after frying.

If batter is too soft; it will not be able to hold the shape and will absorb too much oil.

It is the consistency of the batter that determines how soft and shapely the vadas turn out.

Add little water after every 2-3 spins and keep wiping the sides of grinder with a spatula.

Don’t add salt while grinding. You should add salt just before frying the vadas.

To make super crispy vadas, add rice or semolina or sooji to the batter.

For beginners, shaping the vadas on the greased plastic cover is easiest. Grease a plastic sheet with oil. Take a bowl of water wet your hands and place the portion of dough on plastic.

Now make a hole in centre and shape it in form of round vada.

Transfer vada on your wet palm and side carefully in oil as oil may splash. Deep fry till both sides are brown.

·         If don’t want to go through the hastle of shaping the vadas using plastic sheet then use a “Medu Vada Maker” -You can easily get this online or your nearby crockery store.