Allergens in Thayir Vadai: milk, mustard.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 1 cup, skinned Urad Dal
- 2, finely chopped Green Chilli
- 2.5cm piece, finely chopped Ginger
- 1 tsp, coarsely crushed Black Pepper
- 2 sprigs, chopped Curry Leaves
- 1/4 tsp Asafoetidause compounded-free hing to keep this gluten-free
- 600g, whisked smooth Yogurtthick, fresh and not sour
- 100ml, cold Milkloosens the yogurt and keeps it mild
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 2, broken Dried Red Chilli
- 2 tbsp, chopped Coriander Leavesoptional
- 1/4 tsp, for dusting Chilli Powderoptional
- 500ml, for deep frying Neutral Oil
- 1.5 litres warm, for soaking the vadas Water
- to taste Salt
Cookware
stovetop, kadhai, blender
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 3 hours. Any longer and the batter absorbs oil like a sponge.
- Grind the batter with as little water as you can manage. Ice cold water, a tablespoon at a time.
- Whisk the yogurt with the milk and salt an hour ahead and keep it refrigerated so it is properly cold when the vadas go in.
Method
- Drain the soaked dal thoroughly and grind to a thick, fluffy white batter, adding cold water a tablespoon at a time. A blob dropped in water should float.The float test is not optional. A batter that sinks makes dense, oily vadas.
- Beat the batter by hand for 2 minutes to aerate it, then fold in the green chilli, ginger, crushed pepper, chopped curry leaves, asafoetida and salt.
- Heat the oil to 170C. Wet your palm, flatten a lime-sized ball of batter on it and make a hole through the centre with your thumb.
- Slide the vadas into the oil, 4 at a time, and fry 4 to 5 minutes turning once, until pale gold, not dark.Fry these lighter than you would a standalone medu vada. They have to soften in yogurt later.
- Drain on paper, then drop the hot vadas straight into a bowl of warm salted water for 15 minutes.
- Lift each vada out and press it gently between your palms to squeeze out the water. It should feel like a wrung sponge.Squeeze firmly but slowly, or the vada tears in half.
- Arrange the vadas in a single layer in a shallow dish and pour the cold yogurt-milk mixture over them.
- Refrigerate at least 2 hours so the vadas drink up the yogurt and swell.
- Just before serving, heat 1 tbsp of the frying oil and crackle the mustard seeds, red chillies and remaining curry leaves, and pour it over.
- Dust with chilli powder, scatter the coriander and serve cold.
Storage
Best on the day it is assembled. Keeps 2 days refrigerated but the vadas slump and the yogurt turns sour after that. Never freeze. Serve straight from the fridge.
Nutrition Medium estimate
One serving of Thayir Vadai (566 g) is about 435 calories, or 77 calories per 100 g.
Medium protein: 17 g a serving, 16% of the calories
| Per serving566 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 435 kcal | 77 kcal |
| Protein | 17.0 g | 3 g |
| Carbohydrate | 40.2 g | 7 g |
| of which sugars | 9.6 g | 2 g |
| Fibre | 8.3 g | 2 g |
| Fat | 24.0 g | 4 g |
| of which saturated | 5.6 g | 1 g |
| of which unsaturated | 17.0 g | 3 g |
Ingredients given to taste count as zero, so the real figures run a little higher. Nearest database match used for asafoetida, curry leaves, urad dal. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Vegetarian Indian recipes · Gluten-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.