Medhu vadai or Urad dal vada

Ingredients:

Urad dal: 2 cups

Pepper corns: few (black)

Onion: 1 big (finely chopped)

Fresh coconut: cut into small pieces (1 cup)

Green chillies: 2 nos (optional)

Salt: as required

Oil: for deep frying

Method of cooking:

1. Soak urad dal for 2/3 hours and drain the water completely.

2. Meanwhile finely chop the onion and coconut and set aside.

3. Using wet grinder, grind soaked urad dal using very little water for 15/20 minutes or till it becomes soft and smooth paste.

4. Transfer urad dal batter into a bowl. Now add crushed pepper corns , finely chopped onion and coconut and required amount of salt.

5. Thoroughly mix all ingredients, preferably with hand and beat the batter for a minute or until you get a fluffy feel. (This is to get soft(medhu) vadas)

6. Heat kadai and pour generous amount of oil for deep frying. Wait till the oil becomes hot, to check this just drop the tiny ball sized batter. If the oil is hot enough to fry, immediately batter will pop up and float.

7. Wet both your hands and take a small ball, plan it on your palm to make a flat (not so flat) ball and make small holeusing your finger to get desired vada shape. Drop this into the oil carefully and slowly. If you cannot make the vada with hand can use small polythene sheet or if available banana leaf.

8. Fry the vadas on both sides on low flame. Don’t fry the vadas on high flame because it turns dark brown outside and will not cook properly inside.

9. Once the vadas are cooked transfer them onto a plate spread with kitchen tissues to drain excess oil.

Now the vadas are ready to serve hot with sambar or chutney.

Tips:

1. While grinding the batter don’t add too much water. Just add very little water by wetting your hands. Same thing is applicable when making vadas also.

2. By any chance if the batter becomes watery add cup of semolina to it to get required consistency.

3. If you are making vadas during fasting/ festivals avoid adding onions.

4. If you are adding green chilies, add them to grinder just before removing the batter and whip for a moment or add finely chopped chilies while adding other ingredients to ground batter.