Uzhunnu vada is one
of my favorite snack that I loved as a kid and still do………….
I especially like it dunked in hot sambar with coconut chutney by the side.
Whenever my father took me out when I was a school girl, he would go to any Udupi or Kerala restaurants in Mumbai, and order either vada sambar or masala dosa, these two were always on my top list.
And it was always accompanied by a special sugar cane juice….......with a flavor
of lime and ginger…………wow it was absolutely yummy…………………..
I really miss those days of childhood in Mumbai……………Now I am a Mother and I make these vadas for my kids…………….They also love these as I did when I was a kid.
- 2 cups urad dal/skinned split black gram
- 1 tsp black peppercorns, whole or crushed (optional)
- 1 or 2 strig curry leaves, chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 or 2 green chili, chopped
- 1 tbsp chopped ginger
- Salt to taste
- Oil for deep frying
- Some water if needed to make the batter
Instructions
- Soak the urad dal for 4 hours or overnight.
- Grind the soaked dal to a smooth batter with little water if required.
- If the batter becomes watery, then add some semolina or urad dal flour to it.
- Add the spices, herbs, onions and salt.
- Heat oil.
- Make the vadas. (wet your palms with water and take some batter in your right palm. with the help of the left hand, shape the batter first and then make a hole in the center with a thumb and gently slid the doughnut shaped vadai into medium hot oil.)
- The oil should be not very hot, but medium hot.
- You want the vadas to be cooked from inside.
- Very hot oil will quickly brown the vadas from outside but they will remain uncooked from inside…
- Fry all the medu vadas this way till they become evenly browned and crisp.
- Drain medu vadas on kitchen tissue to remove excess oil.
- Serve the medu vadas, hot or warm with sambar and coconut chutney.
