Medhu Vadai / Medhu Vada

 An yummy South Indian Snack and very popular in the state of Tamizh Nadu. It is shaped in hand, the art of which will be learnt through experience.Now-a-days moulds are available in the stores to get the exact round shape with a hole in the center. The taste will make you wish for more and more forgetting the numbers. Chilli and salt can be adjusted as per taste. Some add rice/chana dhal also but the real taste of the vadai  lies in aunthentic style preparation using purely Urad (Ulundhu) and shaped in hands.

Some use Rice in this recipe for getting soft & crispy vadai and it also helps in shaping. However, traditonally we don't add rice but make it using pure urad. sharing that recipe with you.

Ingridients :-

1. Urad (white)                        - 1 tea cup
2. Currey Leaves crushed        - 1 sprig
3. Green Chilli chopped           - 1 tsp
4. Ginger chopped                   - 11/2 tsp
5. Coriander leaves chopped   - 1 tsp
6. Whole pepper                     - 1 tsp
7. Salt to taste   
8. Oil for frying  

 Procedure :-

• Soak Urad for 40 minutes
• Crush Curry leaves
• Chop Green chilli, ginger, coriander leaves
• Grind Urad to a nice paste by adding little water as the batter has to be thick and in dropping consistency. then only the shape will come properly and dropped in oil.
• Add salt and other chopped ingredients, whole pepper to the batter and mix well.

•  Heat oil in a kadai
• Keep a bowl of water nearby and dip your hands in water before taking the batter to avoid stickness helping the shaped batter to drop in oil easily.
• Take the batter in your four fingers and make a hole in the centre using the thumb or you can even shape it using a plaintain leaf or non-sticky sheet and drop it in oil
• Deep fry and keep them on a absorbent paper to remove excess oil
• Hot medhu vadai is ready to be served with chutney or sambar. It tastes yummy even without any accompaniment as the ingredients gives it a very nice aroma and taste.

Tips

If you find your batter watery, do no panic. Just add some Rawa (sooji/semolina) and let it rest for 5 minutes. then prepare your vada.

Variation :-

This medhu vadai preparation can be had in following ways :

1. Soak in Rasam and your Rasam Vadai is ready

2. Soaked in Curd and had as Thayir Vadai / Dahi Vada