Medu Vada is a crispy, soft, tasty South Indian snack dish. This vada is made with ground and seasoned urad dhal batter fried into a small doughnut-like shape. This vada is fluffy, spongy, and delicious breakfast or snack recipe usually made in South Indian homes and restaurants. The word Medu means soft and vada means vadai(fritter) in Tamil. This medu vadai is perfect for breakfast and tea-time snacks. Tiffin sambhar and coconut chutney are the best accompaniment for this soft and crispy vada.
Vada is a South Indian snack recipe that uses urad dhal or channa dhal. Traditional two varieties are medu vada with urad dhal and paruppu vada with chana dhal. These vadas require only a few basic ingredients that are available at home. There are other varieties like poha, rice flour, moong dhal, and green gram vada which involves the same process of making vada.
Medu vada or ulundhu vada is a circular shape fritter made with urad dhal batter. This recipe is authentic to South India but also popular with other neighboring states. This is a basic breakfast and snack recipe in restaurants, tea shops, and street stalls. This special vadai has a unique place not only in the breakfast and snack menu but also in all festival seasons like Diwali(Deepavali), Ugadi, Pongal, Navrathri, and so on. Even though the main ingredient is urad dal, there are variations in the making of vada in each South Indian state. There are different names for this urad dhal vada. And some of them are:
1. Ulundu Vadai in Tamilnadu
2. Garelu in Andhra Pradesh
3. Uzhunnu Vada in Kerala
4. Udinna Vada or Vade in Karnataka
About this Medu Vada recipe:
The recipe given here is a basic and easy urad dal vada. The urad dal is soaked for two hours and then ground into a thick paste in a blender(mixie). This batter is then mixed with onion, peppercorn, green chili, curry leaves, rice flour, and coriander leaves. The rice flour helps to achieve a perfect crispier vada. And then fry the batter until crisp in medium hot oil. This medu vada or ulundhu vada is crispy, fluffy, soft, and delicious breakfast, tea time snack, or lunch box. This vada tastes best with sambhar and chutney.
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Looking for easy and healthy breakfast recipes to kick start your busy mornings? Then you could also check this collection of Indian Vegetarian Breakfast Recipes to enjoy with your family and loved ones.
Medu vada video instructions
I have shared the detailed video instruction of this recipe in the video below and I believe it will help you to make/prepare this dish easily at home. You could also find the Medu Vada / Ulundu Vadai in story format for a quick reference of this recipe.
Recipe Card
📖 Recipe
Medu Vada | Ulundhu Vadai | Soft And Crispy Snack
Medu vada or ulundhu vada is crispy, fluffy, soft, and delicious south Indian tea time snack or side dish for breakfast. This vada is best served with sambhar, chutney, or enjoyed as it is.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Urad Dhal, soaked for hours
- ¼ cup Onion , chopped
- 3 Green Chili, chopped
- 1 spring Curry leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp Whole Pepper Corn
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Ginger, chopped
- 2 tsp Rice Flour
- 5 tbsp Water
- Coriander Leaves
- Oil, for frying
Instructions
To Prepare Medu Vada | Ulundhu Vadai
- Wash and soak the urad dhal in water for about 2 hours
- Drain the urad dhal and transfer it to the blender
To Prepare Vada Batter
- Grind the soaked urad dhal in blender by adding water gradually in batches
- Blend the batter to a fluffy thick consistency
- Transfer the vada batter to the bowl
- Add onion, peppercorn, green chili, curry leaves, salt, rice flour, and coriander leaves
- Combine all ingredients well
To Fry the Batter
- Take a medium-sized ball-shaped vada batter and make a hole in the middle
- Gradually add the batter to the oil in the pan with medium heat and fry
- On and off flip the sides of the batter
- Repeat this until both the sides turn golden brown in color
- Drain the Medu vada from oil
Serve
- Serve the medu vada or ulundhu vada with coconut chutney or as it is
Notes
- Grind the soaked urad dal with little water at a time to make a fluffy and thick batter which gives a perfect shape for Vada
- Adding rice flour to the batter gives crispiness to the vada
- Fry the Vada as soon as the batter mix is ready. This helps avoid the vada absorbing more oil
- Grease the palm with oil or dip in water to avoid the batter sticking to the palm
- Banana leaf is also used to shape the vada to get a perfect circular shape
- Vada batter can be stored in a refrigerator and stays good for up to 4 to 5 days
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 2 VadaAmount Per Serving Calories 139Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 0mgSodium 694mgCarbohydrates 20gNet Carbohydrates 0gFiber 5gSugar 5gSugar Alcohols 0gProtein 6g
Disclaimer: Nutrition information comes from thirdparty apps and it is purely an estimate and provided for information purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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