Medu Vada is a popular snack item in the southern regions of India.
It's filling, delicious, and also offers several health benefits.
Here's more!
Medu Vada - a member of the 'Vada' family, is a traditional dish in South Indian cuisine. It's usually sold as a breakfast snack on almost every street of South India and has recently gained lots of love in the northern part of India as well. It's served warm along with sambar and coconut chutney.
The word 'medu' means soft and 'vada' means fritters in the Kannada language. Hence, Medu Vada translates to "Soft Fritter". It has several other names such as Garelu, Batuk, Uddina Vade, Uzhunnu Vada, Udid Vada, Ulundu Vadai, Urad Vada, Urdi Bara, Ulundu Wade, and more.
It's crispy, fluffy, and boasts an abundance of flavors.
History of Medu Vada
Medu Vada, according to Vir Sanghvi, was invented in Maddur town in present-day Karnataka. It eventually became popular all across India, which owes to the Udupi restaurateurs.
How to Make
The ingredients required to prepare Medu Vada are -
1 cup of split white lentils, 1/2 cup of chopped onions, 2 green chilies, 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, 2 teaspoons of chopped coriander leaves, 5 curry leaves, 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns, 1/2 cup of oil, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
First, wash the lentils properly, and soak them in 3 cups of water for 2.5 hours. Now, drain excess water, put the lentils in a mixer, and grind until it turns into a thick and smooth paste.
Put the batter in a big bowl, and use your hands to beat it in one particular direction for a couple of minutes. Now, add the chopped onions, green chilies, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, coriander leaves, curry leaves, salt, etc., and mix well.
Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over medium flame. Take some batter on your palm, use your fingers to make round-shaped thick vada, and then make a small hole right at the center. Put it into the heated oil, deep-fry both sides, and wait until it becomes crispy and golden brown. Drain the excess oil and serve it hot along with sambar and coconut chutney.
Good to Know
Medu Vada contains a good amount of iron, protein, folic acid, calcium, potassium, B vitamins, and more. It's beneficial for those who suffer from digestive issues.
