· INTRODUCTION
Mendu Vada is crispy, fluffy, soft, and delicious lentil fritters from South Indian cuisine. If sweet breakfast isn’t your thing, try this recipe for savory spiced donuts made with black gram lentils and aromatic spices. Traditionally paired with Sambar and Coconut Chutney, these make for a comforting, filling, and satisfying breakfast or snack.
· INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup urad dal (husked and split or whole black gram) – 200 grams
- ▢2.5 to 3 cups water – for soaking
- ▢3 to 4 tablespoons water – for grinding or blending lentils
- ▢½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ▢½ teaspoon black peppercorns whole or crushed
- ▢1 tablespoon chopped curry leaves or 7 to 8 curry leaves
- ▢⅓ cup finely chopped onions – optional
- ▢1 teaspoon chopped green chilies or 1 to 2 green chilies
- ▢1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- ▢1 pinch asafoetida (hing) – optional
- ▢¼ cup chopped coconut pieces – optional
- ▢2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves – optional
- ▢½ teaspoon salt or as required
- ▢oil for deep frying, as required
· RECIPE
1. Rinse 1 cup urad dal (husked and split or whole black gram) a few times in water. Then soak the lentils in 2.5 to 3 cups water for at least 4 to 5 hours or up to overnight.
Preferably use unpolished urad dal to make this vada recipe.
2. Drain and discard the water. Add the soaked urad dal to a grinder jar. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons freshwater or as needed. Just be sure not to make the batter too thin!
Do not add too much water while grinding. The batter should be like a soft moist dough but yet light and fluffy.
It should end up looking like a cake batter rather than a crepe batter. I recommend blending in steps and adding water as needed to achieve the right consistency.
3. Begin to grind or blend the urad dal to a smooth batter. The batter should be fluffy and thick.
You can grind in two batches or one lot depending on the capacity and size of your blender or mixer-grinder.
Scrape down the sides of the blender as you go to ensure all the lentils get blended to a uniform consistency.
4. Continue to grind at intervals by scraping the sides with a spatula. If your mixer or grinder becomes hot, then wait for a few minutes until it cools down.
5. Continue to grind or blend until you achieve a smooth, fluffy batter. Remember there should be no fine grits or chunks of urad dal in the batter.
6. Remove the batter into a big bowl or vessel. Then briskly whip with a spatula, spoon, or a wired whisk for 2 to 3 minutes. This aerates the batter and gives it a light, fluffy texture.
7. In the below photo you see the vada batter that has been aerated by continuously whisking it for few minutes.
8. A quick way to check the perfect and right consistency of the batter is to add a small spoon of it to a bowl of water. The batter should float and remain intact. If it floats and does not get dissolved, then you have achieved the right consistency.
If it sinks, this means that your batter is not fluffy enough (with not enough air bubbles trapped in it) or is too thin.
If the batter is too thin, then add some semolina (fine rava or suji) or urad dal flour or rice flour to it to help thicken it up. Rava or suji also helps in giving a crispy texture to the vada.
Making Medu Vada Batter
9. Measure and keep all the ingredients ready for making the batter. To the batter, spices, and herbs:
10. Mix the batter well with herbs, spices, and salt. You do not have to ferment the batter. You can use it right away. Check the taste of the batter and, if needed, add some salt.
11. Take a bowl of water. Apply some water from the bowl on both your palms. Take some batter in your right palm from the bowl. Give it a round shape by moving it in a circular position in the right hand.
12. With your thumb make a hole in the center. You can also use banana leaves or zip lock bags to give the medu vada its doughnut shape.
TIP: If the batter sticks and you are not able to shape it then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of rice flour to the batter and mix well. This happens if the batter has become slightly thin which means that there is more water in it.
Frying Medu Vada
13. In a kadai, heat oil over medium heat. Once the oil becomes hot, slide the medu vada gently into the hot oil. Be careful here! The oil can sputter and pop over quite a distance, so I recommend wearing an apron and long sleeves to protect your skin and clothes.
TIP: If you do not care about the appearance of the doughnut-shape of the medu vada, then just drop spoonfuls of the batter directly in the oil.
Do not overcrowd the pan. Work in batches, considering the size of your pan as your guide.
14. Once the vada is slightly golden and the batter has firmed up and looks crispy, then gently turn over with a slotted spoon and continue to fry. The oil should not exceed 190 degrees celsius (375F), or fall below 175 degrees celsius (350F).
Remember: oil that is too hot will quickly brown the vadas from the outside, but they will remain uncooked from the inside. The oil that isn’t hot enough will make the vada absorb too much oil and become greasy.
15. Continue to fry the vada, turning over as needed.
16. Fry the medhu vadai till crisp and golden.
17. Once the medhu vadai is crisp and golden, then remove with a slotted spoon to drain the extra oil. Fry the rest of vadai in the same manner.
18. Drain them on kitchen tissues to remove extra oil. This way shape the vada batter and fry them in hot oil.
19. Serve medu vada hot or warm with sambar and coconut chutney. Enjoy!
