Start the day before. The soaking alone is 4 hr, against 50 min of actual work.
Allergens in Medu Vada: none of the ten listed below.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 1 cup, skinless, soaked 4 hours Urad Dal
- 1 tsp, coarsely crushed Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 tbsp, finely minced Ginger
- 2, finely minced Green Chilli
- 1 sprig, torn small Curry Leaves
- 2 tbsp, chopped Coriander Leavesoptional
- 1 tbsp Rice Flourinsurance for a crisper shell if the batter feels softoptional
- 1/4 tsp Asafoetidause compounded-free hing to keep this gluten-free
- 500ml, for deep frying Neutral Oil
- to taste Salt
Cookware
kadhai, blender, stovetop
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Soak the urad dal 4 hours, no longer. Over-soaked dal drinks oil.
- Drain it thoroughly and let it sit in the colander 10 minutes; wet dal needs extra water to grind and gives flat vadas.
- Chill the ground batter 20 minutes if your kitchen is warm. Cold batter holds its shape on the fingers.
- Add the salt only just before frying; salted batter goes watery within minutes.
Method
- Grind the drained dal with 2 to 3 tbsp of ice-cold water, in short bursts, to a thick fluffy paste.Every extra spoon of water costs you crispness. Scrape down rather than adding more.
- Beat the batter with your hand for 3 minutes until it lightens in colour and feels aerated.
- Test it by dropping a pinch into a bowl of water. It should float within seconds.If it sinks, beat for another 2 minutes; unaerated batter fries dense.
- Fold in the pepper, cumin, ginger, chilli, curry leaves, coriander, hing and salt.
- Heat the oil to 170C. A drop of batter should rise steadily, not shoot to the surface.
- Wet your palm, take a lime-sized ball of batter, flatten it and make a hole through the centre with a wet thumb.
- Slide the vada off your palm into the oil from close to the surface, and fry 4 or 5 at a time.
- Fry 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until deep gold and the sizzle drops to a quiet crackle.That quietening means the water has cooked out and the shell has set.
- Drain on a rack rather than paper so the underside stays crisp, and serve immediately with coconut chutney.
Storage
Best within the hour. Leftovers keep a day refrigerated; refresh in a 180C oven for 6 minutes rather than a microwave, which turns them leathery.
Nutrition Good estimate
One serving of Medu Vada (87 g) is about 346 calories, or 400 calories per 100 g.
Medium protein: 11 g a serving, 13% of the calories
| Per serving87 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 346 kcal | 400 kcal |
| Protein | 11.4 g | 13 g |
| Carbohydrate | 35.9 g | 42 g |
| of which sugars | 1.3 g | 2 g |
| Fibre | 8.4 g | 10 g |
| Fat | 18.4 g | 21 g |
| of which saturated | 2.0 g | 2 g |
| of which unsaturated | 15.4 g | 18 g |
Nearest database match used for asafoetida, curry leaves, urad dal. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Vegan Indian recipes · Vegetarian Indian recipes · Gluten-free Indian recipes · Dairy-free Indian recipes · No onion no garlic recipes · Tamil Nadu recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.