Why this recipe works
A great medu vada is all about aeration. Soaked urad dal is ground to a thick batter and then beaten well to whip air into it, so much that a spoonful floats in water. That trapped air is what makes the vada light and fluffy inside rather than dense. The urad dal also makes it genuinely protein-rich for a snack.
Ingredients
- Urad dal, soaked1 cup
- Ginger, green chilli1 tsp + 2
- Black pepper, curry leaves1/2 tsp + 10
- Oil for frying, saltto taste
Method
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1
Grind the soaked urad dal to a thick, fluffy batter using as little water as possible.
Why little water: a thick batter holds the air you beat in, a thin one collapses and gives dense, oily vadas.
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2
Beat the batter well until light, it should float when a little is dropped in water.
The whole secret: beating whips air into the batter, and that trapped air is what makes the vada fluffy inside and helps it absorb less oil.
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3
Mix in ginger, chilli, crushed pepper and curry leaves. Shape into rings with a hole in the middle.
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4
Fry in hot oil until golden and crisp. For a lighter version, cook them in a greased appe (paniyaram) pan instead.
A lighter route: an appe pan crisps them in a fraction of the oil, keeping the protein-rich vada with far less fat.
An honest word
Let us be honest: a classic medu vada is deep-fried, so it soaks up oil, a tasty treat rather than everyday health food. The good news is the urad-dal base is protein-rich, and a well-beaten, thick batter fried in properly hot oil absorbs much less. For a genuinely lighter version, cook them in an appe pan. Either way, the sambar and chutney alongside do you good.