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Uzhunnu Vada / Medu Vada

Vada is a generic, common name given across India, to a round shaped fritter fried in oil. Vada's can be made of either different lentils, gram flour or even potatoes. It differs in size too according to different cuisines. Its a perfect savoury tiffin enjoyed & relished by everyone. Its crispy on the outside and soft & fluffy inside...mmmm...

I made "Uzhunnu Vada" today for my breakfast. Uzhunnu in malayalam is Urad Dal/ Black gram. Uzhunnu Vada is the Indian cousin of the Western DOUGH NUTS! Probably because of its similar looks!! Medhu Vada has become so popular now that it is now treated as a street food in India. I was missing my "Annapoorna Sambar Vada" of Coimbatore that today I ended up making some. My Vadas have not come out perfectly round but who cares, taste is all that matters. :)

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups urad dal (split black gram)
  • 1 large onion (finely chopped)
  • 3-4 green chillies (finely chopped)
  • 15-20 peppercorns
  • 2 inch ginger (optional, finely chopped)
  • few curry leaves (optional, finely chopped)
  • salt to taste
  • oil for deep frying
Method:
  1. Soak the urad dal in water for at least 5-6 hours. I soak the dal overnight to make the vadas for breakfast.
  2. Drain it and grind the dal to make a paste. Use very little water to grind the dal. The paste should not be watery but so thick that when you take a spoonful of the dal paste and invert the spoon, the paste should fall off with a plop sound!
  3. Now add the chopped onion, green chillies, peppercorns, curry leaves, chopped ginger and salt to the paste and mix everything together with your hand. Use your hand instead of the spoon so that the air traps inside the dal paste to make the vadas fluffy and soft.
  4. Heat oil in a Kadhai for deep frying the vadas.
  5. Now is the tricky part. Dab your fingers in a little oil and take a portion of the dal paste with your four fingers as shown in the picture below.
  6. Now with your thumb make a hole in the middle of the paste and invert the paste in the hot oil. (MIND THE HOT OIL)
  7. Fry the vadas until they turn light golden on all sides.
  8. Serve the hot Vadas with some hot Sambar. You can immerse the Vadas inside the sambar and oh...I can't even explain what the feeling is when you put those hot Vadas in your mouth!

PS: To see the recipe of "Sambar", please click on to the "Kerala Sadya" category of this blog!! ENJOY!!
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Comments

  1. Nik10 May 2011 at 20:47

    Ooh la la! Mouth watering!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Loveandcalories11 May 2011 at 09:42

    Thanks Nik!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Amila10 June 2011 at 14:28

    oh yummy!!! I tried to make this once few mths ago.But couldnt get the nice appearence.Now I want to try again...
    (Amy from Food corner)

    ReplyDelete

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