Uzhunnu Vada / Medu Vada / Urad Dal Fritters

Uzhunnu Vada aka Medu Vada or Urad Dal Fritters is a popular south Indian snack usually served with Masala Dosa or taken as a breakfast itself.

Uzhunnu Vada Preparation

1. Clean and soak the Urad dal for up to 3-4 hours.
2. Drain it completely.
3. Grind it to a smooth paste without adding water. If its hard to grind, sprinkle little water. But at the end the batter has to be as thick as possible.
4. Transfer it to a large bowl.
5. Add the chopped onions, ginger, green chillies, pepper powder, curry leaves, baking soda and salt to the dal batter in the bowl.
6. Add 1 tbsp of rice powder to this (to make the uzhunnu vada crispy) and mix well. Keep it idle for 10-15 minutes. (Some people refrigerate this during this time for easier molding).
7. Heat oil in a deep bottomed Kadai / CheenaChatti and keep it in low flame.
8. Keep a cup of water near you and wet your hand with this. This will prevent sticking of the batter to your hands.
9. Now make round shaped ball with the thick batter and press it using the palm of your hand. With your finger make a hole in the center.
10. Now drop it slowly and carefully to the hot oil.
11. Fry them till they become golden color, by flipping in between.
12. Drain into kitchen tissues.
13. Repeat steps 8-11 with the remaining batter.
14. Serve hot with Sambar / Chutney.

Tips

• The batter should be as thick as possible with little water. At any time, if the batter gets thin, add more dal flour to make it thick.