Medhu Vadai/Ulundhu Vadai

Recipe Details

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Ingredients

To Grind

• Urad dal – 1 cup
• Ginger – 1-inch piece
• Green chilies – 3–4
• Water – 1/4 cup or less, as needed
• Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp
• Salt – to taste

To Chop and Add

• Red onion – 1 medium, finely chopped
• Coriander leaves – 1/2 bunch, finely chopped
• Curry leaves – 1 sprig, finely chopped
• Peppercorns – 1 tsp

For Frying

• Oil – 2–3 cups

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Preparation

1. Soak the urad dal in water for 1–2 hours.
2. Finely chop the red onion, coriander leaves, and curry leaves.
3. After soaking, wash the urad dal and drain the water completely.

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Grinding

1. Add the drained urad dal, ginger, green chilies, asafoetida, and salt to a wet grinder or mixer.
2. Grind for about 10–15 minutes, adding water very little at a time.
3. Continue grinding until the batter becomes smooth, thick, and fluffy. Use no more than about 1/4 cup water unless absolutely necessary.
4. Just before removing the batter from the grinder, add the peppercorns, chopped onion, coriander leaves, and curry leaves.
5. Run the grinder for just a few seconds so everything is evenly mixed into the batter.

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Cooking Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a deep, round pan over medium heat.
2. Wet your hands well with water. Take a small portion of batter in your hand and gently shape it into a round disc.
3. Make a small hole in the center with your finger to create the traditional vadai shape.
4. Carefully slide the shaped vadai into the hot oil. If shaping by hand is difficult, you can also drop portions of batter into the oil using a spoon.
5. Fry over medium heat until the vadai turns golden brown and crisp on both sides, approximately 5–10 minutes depending on the size.
6. Remove from the oil and drain the excess oil.

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Tips

Batter Consistency: The batter should be thick, smooth, and fluffy. This is the key to getting soft vadai on the inside and crispy vadai on the outside.

Use Less Water: Add water very gradually while grinding. Too much water will make the batter loose and can cause the vadai to absorb more oil.

Oil Temperature: Keep the oil at medium heat. If the oil is too hot, the outside may brown quickly while the inside remains undercooked.

Serving Suggestion

Serve hot Medhu Vadai with coconut chutney as a side dish.

You can also soak the vadai in hot sambar for 1–2 hours and serve as Sambar Vadai, or soak them in seasoned curd and chill before serving as Curd Vadai.