Uzhunnu Vada/ Medu Vada/ Urad Dal Fritters

Urad dal fritter which is also known as uzhunnu vada or medu vada is a most popular snack of south India. They make a tasty and excellent breakfast combination along with idli or dosa.

The soaked black gram dal is ground to a fine paste and mixed with all the spices and fried till golden brown and crisp. This is a mouth-watering snack which you can’t have enough of it. Water is the main ingredient, when added more the vada won’t turn out properly and will soak lots of oil and when added less, the batter won’t be smooth and fluffy. Once when the batter is done, we have to mix well with the hand this will create air inside the batter and the vada will turn soft and crisp.

The traditional way of making the batter includes the grinding of urad dal in a stone mortar and pestle. These are my husband’s and my daughter’s favorite snack. Whenever I make these either it will be hard to eat or this will soak oil fully. This time it came out perfect and as I made this for our evening snack, I took the pics of the delicious vada using the lightbox which I made some months back. Hope you all like this. Try these vada and let me know.

Ingredients:

1. Black Gram Dal/ Urad dal- 2 Cups
2. Rice Flour- 2 tbsp
3. Pepper Corns- 2 tbsp
4. Curry Leaves- few
5. Sal - as required
6. Green Chillies (chopped-3 nos
7. Onions (chopped)- 1 no
8. Ginger- 1-inch piece
9. Baking soda- 1 tsp
10. Oil- for deep frying

Method:

1. Wash and soak the urad dal for about 2- 3 hours and grind to a fine, smooth, fluffy paste by sprinkling little amount of water.
2. Transfer the batter to a bowl and beat well using your hand and combine well for at least 5 - 10 minutes, by doing this the fritters will turn out soft and fluffy.
3. To this batter add the chopped onions, green chilies, peppercorns, curry leaves, grated ginger, baking soda and required amount of salt. Mix well.
4. Add the rice flour for the crispness of the fritters, mix and keep this aside for 5- 10 minutes.
5. Heat oil in a nonstick pan for deep frying. Wet your palm and take a ball of the batter, make a hole in the center and drop it in hot oil.
6. Repeat the above process by wetting your palms and making the fritters till the batter gets over. When they turn golden brown remove on a kitchen towel.
7. Serve these fritters along with coconut chutney and enjoy.