Medu Vadai or Ulundhu Vadai

Two days ago, we celebrated my best friend Nitu's birthday at my home. I had promised her to give a surprise party 3 years ago which I kept postponing due to the teaching job that I'm engaged with. Well, normally, I just give her a treat or hangout at our favorite restaurant but this time after a series of entreat from her, I consented to cook her favorite dishes with a condition which she unwillingly agreed. She must help me at the kitchen and wash up the dirty dishes after the birthday bash. We invited our close friends, decorated the house using hand-made origami and served varieties of delicacies with recipe written on a golden slip of paper which was enveloped with a red ribbon. In exchange, our friends should also be swapping with us their family recipes which they had tried and tested in their own kitchen.Today I'll be posting medu vadai that can be served either for breakfast  or as an evening  snack or at any Indian occasion. The secret of making perfect crispy outer layer and soft inside vadai lies in good grinding of urad dal which should only be soaked in water for 10 to 15 minutes. Lets have look at the ingredients needed for making this vadai.

Ingredients:

Urad dal or ulundhu : 1cup

Raw rice : 3 tbsp

Green chillies : 4

Big Onion : 1

Curry leaves : a sprig

Asofetida : 1/2 tsp

Salt : as needed

Oil : for deep frying

Method :

1. Soak urad dal and rice in sufficient amount of water for 10 to 15 minutes only.

2. Drain off the excess water and start grinding them in a blender or grinder. You may add little water from time to time if you face the difficulty to grind well. You should grind them into smooth and fluffy thick paste. Do not add a lot of water as your vadai will absorb oil and turn soggy too. Be careful in adding water and only sprinkle with some water during the grinding difficulty. All the green chillies can be added while grinding.

3.Finely chop the onions and curry leaves. Add them to the thick vadai mixture with salt as much needed and asofetida powder. Always add salt at the end and before frying.

4. Using a plastic or zip lock bag, take a small ball of the paste, flatten it lightly on the surface you are working on and by using your index finger shape a hole in the center. 

5. Pour sufficient oil for deep frying in a wide pan. Keep the flame on medium high. Transfer the shaped vadai into the oil. You may fry three vadais at the same time depending on the size of the pan you are using.

6. Serve the vadai with coconut chutney.

Medu Vadai

-Abby