Vada / Meduvada / Uzhunnuvada

Vada / Meduvada / Uzhunnuvada

Soaking time: 4 hours
Grinding time: 45 minutes ( Elgi Ultra Table top grinder )
Makes: 12

You will need

300 g ( 1 1/2 cup ) urad dal
2 1/2 cup water ( for soaking )
2 green chillies. finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon hing ( asafoetida )
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1 - inch piece ginger, finely chopped
1 spring curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt ( or to taste )
1 cup ( 100 ml ) + 3 teaspoon water ( for grinding )
250 ml oil for frying

Method

Chop ginger, green chilli and curry leaves. In a bowl, mix hing ( asafoetida ), peppercorns and chopped ginger, green chillies and curry leaves.

Wash and soak urad dal for 4 hours. Drain out water completely. Add 1 cup water( 100 ml ) in grinder and also add drained urad dal. Do not add more water. Grind urad dal to a thick and smooth paste in a grinder. Add extra 1 teaspoon water during grinding ( total 3 teaspoon and approximate grinding time 45 minutes ).

Transfer this vada batter to another flat bowl and mix it with chopped ingredients, peppercorns, hing and salt to taste.

Heat oil in a kadai / frying pan.

Wet your palms and take batter into the palms. Shape it like a doughnut with a hole in the centre. The reason for putting hole is to allow for expansion during frying as well as to obtain uniform cooking through out the cross section.

Alternately one can shape it like a ball if one find it difficult to shape it like a doughnut.

Release the doughnut shaped batter directly into the hot oil.

Care should taken not to splash oil on to your palms.

Repeat this as far as the space permitting in your kadai. For eg I made 4 vadas at a time due to limitation of the size of the kadai ( see the photo below ).

Also too many vadas at a time may result in uneven cooking of vadas. Normally at first the underside of the vadas turn brown. So turn the vadas over so that the uniform color ( golden color ) is obtained through out the surface. Cook on a medium heat. Avoid high heat.

Drain and place on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil. Serve with coconut chutney / Sambar / Tea / Coffee.

Note: If by any chance you add more water the paste may become loose. But that is not the end of the world. Add a little rice flour to it to make it more firm and then continue as per recipe. Only fall out is that the vadas may be a little bit harder.