About Vada:

Vadai (Tamil:வடை ), also known as wada or vade orvadai or bara (pronounced "vah-daa", "vah-dey", "baraa" or "vah-die"), is a savoury fritter-type snack from South India.
Vada can vary in shape and size, but are usually either doughnut- or disc-shaped and are about between 5 and 8 cm across. They are made from dal, lentil, gram flour or potato.
Vada is a traditional South Indian food known from antiquity. Although they are commonly prepared at home, vadas are as well a typical street food in the Indian Subcontinent and Sri Lanka. They are usually a high calorie morning food, typically about 300 Kcal each, but in street stalls and in railway stations, as well as inside the Indian Railways, they are available as a snack all day.
Vadai, pronounced 'vah-die', is a traditional food preparation from southern India. They are typically deep-fried in oil and served with savoury accompaniments.
There are two types of vadai - Paruppu vadai made from chana dal (split de-husked black chickpeas), and Ulundu vadai made from urad dal (de-husked black lentils.) Sliced green chillies, curry leaves and onion are also mixed into the batter, and ulundu vadai batter contains rice in addition to these. While paruppu vadai is circular and slightly flat, ulundu vadai is wheel-shaped with a hole in the middle. Ulundu vadai is bland and usually enjoyed with chutney or sambar.
The general way of preparing vadai is to make a paste or dough with gram flour or mashed or diced potatoes and/or dal lentils. This mixture is subsequently seasoned by mixing with black mustard seeds, onion, curry leaves, which are sometimes previously sauteed, and salt, chilies and/or black pepper grains. Often ginger and baking soda are added to the seasoning. The individual vadais are then shaped and deep-fried. Certain types of vadai are covered in a gram flour batter before frying.
Although battered and deep-fried, the finished product should not be too oily if prepared correctly, since steam build-up within the vadai pushes all oil away from within the vadai.
Vadai is typically and traditionally served along with a main course such as Dosa, Idli, or Pongal. Nowadays it is also ordered as an À la carte item but is never the main course and is had as a light snack or on the side of another dish and usually not separately as a meal. Vadais are preferably eaten freshly fried, while still hot and crunchy and is served with a variety of dips ranging from Sambar to chutney to curd.
Medhu Vadai Served In Tiffin Platter


Ingredients:

  • Urad dhal - 1 cup
  • Rice - 2 tbsp
  • Green chilli - 2 (Chopped into small pieces)
  • Fresh ginger - a small piece
  • Fresh coriander leaves - few
  • Salt - half teaspoon
  • Oil - for deep frying

Method:


1.Take Urad Dal and Rice in a bowl.Add Water and let it soak for 2 hours.

 2.After 2 hrs ,drain water from Dal using a sieve.
 3.Add Green Chillies and Ginger and Grind this to a smooth Paste with out adding any water.You can sprinkle little water but it should be really thick.Do this in a wet Grinder this not only gives smooth paste but it beats the dough very well and infuses air in dough which makes it lighter which helps in makes fluffy vadai.
But if you don't have wet grinder ,do in mixer ,but beat the dough with hands vigorously or put the dough in stand mixer and run it through which infuses air in dough which helps makes it fluffier.
 4.Dough should be like this consistency.
 5.To check if the dough is light and fluffy ,drop it in a cup of water ,it should float.See the dough on the bottom,that one is not yet aerated.But when i beat and mix the dough with hand vigourously then i dropped it,it started to float.
 6.Add Finely chopped GreenChillies , curry leaf,coriander leaves and ginger slices.Dont add them wet this will makes batter watery and vadai won't come properly.Add Salt as neeed.

 7.Then make one vadai and taste it and see and do adjust seasoning accordingly.

 8.To make Vadai,Wet your hand with water ,this will prevent water from sticking to your hand .
 9.Take a  golf ball size of batter and place it in the palm.
 10.Then flatten it with other hand and make a hole in the center.
 11.It should like this.It need not to be perfect it wil lcome perfect when frying.
 12.Then drop it in oil ,Oil should be low to medium heat...this will help vada to cook more evenly from inside out..Let it cook slowly don't try to fry faster..it won't cook properly.Once they are golden brown,Drain oil in the paper towel.
 13.Hot Medhu Vadai is ready to serve with White Coconut Chutney.

Tips:


If you are not able to make vada to shapes,don't panic....Just make small balls like this and fry them in low to medium flame,its still going to taste better.