Crispy medu vada recipe or medhu vadai is a quintessential part of South Indian breakfast. A perfect match to steamed idli. It is a very popular in all the Southern Indian states and even abroad nowadays. Kannadigas call it as uddina vada. Tamils call it as ulundu vada. While Telugus call it as garelu, Malayalis call it uzhunnu vada. Sambar vada and rasam vada are both very popular which are lentil stews served with these savoury lentil donuts. You can have it dry too with some coconut , tomato pachdi or ginger chutney.
I must sincerely thank all Udupi restaurants and all popular South Indian eatery chains which made them so popular. Most restaurants are run by Shetty and people from Mangalore Udupi region across India. Hence, this cuisine has now spread far and wide. Nowadays, they are available across India and the world. Most foreigners also love it thanks to Veganism on the rise. Idli vada sambar is one of the most popular breakfasts whether you travel by air or train nowadays. This recipe fills your tummy with nutrients and heart with pride.
Magic of lentils in South Indian cuisine
I simply love the way lentils are used in South Indian cuisine. Not just as a stew or dal but also a pancake or crepe like uttapam, pesarattu and dosa. They are great for protein for vegans and vegetarians. Thus, you can avoid animal protein altogether. Adding handful of soaked chana, tuvar and urad dal to tempering along with curry leaves and fenugreek seeds (methi dana) in coconut oil, makes even bland rice a tasty dish. It is not just the taste, these ingredients are a secret to long dark hair too.
Pulihora, tomato rice or lemon rice is just something you will make every time you have extra rice left over. Simple flavors yet superb taste. Most of these dishes can be made vegan and gluten free if you avoid ghee and heeng (asafoetida)
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Rail aahar
This snack has always been a part of Indian travel culture and temple food cuisine. You can always find it being served on train platforms. Many vendors choose to sell it as it is very popular. You will find it as a common snack at canteens for breakfast and rail ahar. In the olden days, railways did not have pantry in all trains. Neither you could find apps which could bring the food to your berth. I travelled all the way from Delhi to Vizag in holidays. Hence, it was just amazing how food would change with every state. You could eat different variety all day, even though we would carry quite a lot with us for the travel. Ah, those days eat all day and still burn all those extra calories! What fun, no worry!
Most people who would travel long distances either brought food along or relied on the vendors. At major stations in South India, you could find stalls with hot piping coffee and tea and yummy idli, vade. Once the train approached a vendor would jump up the stairs with a basket full of chana dal vade, mendu vadai and piping hot idli. Vada vada vada, menduwada! He would go yelling at the top of his lungs so that hungry travellers could have some food and he could earn a living. Soon a coffee or tea vendor would follow. Ah, those days of idly youth and long train journeys.
We usually serve 2 idli or rice dumplings along with 1 medhu wada and chutney for breakfast. This is available in all canteens, mess and even in temples. Most devotees travel long distances to reach the temple. Snacks and sweet shops serve it all day long cater to devotees. Hence, they go back with both nourished belly and soul.
Why medu vada has a hole?
Medu means soft and as the name suggests it has a soft interior. It has a crispy fritter texture on the outside. It is a simple recipe involving frying soaked and fermented black gram split lentils or urad dal. The batter consistency should not too watery. It looks like a donut once done. You can make it with or without a medu vada maker. You may or may not make a hole in the middle. However, having a hole in middle, ensures the interior cooks perfectly. You can also wet your hands put a cookie ring and pour batter inside and make a hole. Remove the ring and slide the batter into hot oil carefully to fry it. This is both vegan and gluten free.
Nutrition benefits
Recipe of vada is full of urad dal which is very nutritious. High in protein and magnesium. It helps strengthen bones especially after illness or pregnancy. It also helps improve immunity. Hence, urad dal is also used to make idli dosa & papad. However, you cannot have mendu vada daily as it is still fried. Air frying them can definitely reduce the calories.
What are different types of vada?
Apart from uddina vada recipe these are the below recipes which are pretty awesome!
Sindhi papad | Masala urad dal papad is another great urad dal recipe. It may look hard,but making papad is possible at home even in an apartment.
Equipment
- kadai/wok/frying pan for traditional method
- Air fryer for low oil method
- mixer grinder/blender
Ingredients
- Urad dal/ split black gram lentils
- Onion
- Green chili
- Coriander leaves/curry leaves
- Black peppers
- Rice flour optional
- Salt
- Oil for frying
How to make medu vada? (Traditional method -frying)
Making the batter of the right consistency, and of the right shape gets easier with practice. You will understand the right consistency of the split black gram batter just like you do for bread as you keep practicing it. Here are the steps below
- Soak the urad dal in water for 4 hours/overnight. Always better to throw the water away and then grind with minimal fresh water in a wet grinder or mixer grinder. I had a ultra wet grinder back home but now I just use my Ninja for it
2.Add other ingredients to the dal. You can also add some curry leaves to medhu vada.
3. Mix all ingredients.
4. Take a spoonful and make a ring of the batter, let it cook in medium hot oil. 
5. Take them out of the oil once cooked/golden brown 
How to make urad dal vada in airfryer?
If you are thinking can we make medu vada in airfryer?
Yes you can. It tastes just as awesome, minus the frying 🙂 Hence it is convenient plus no extra calories to burn!
- Follow steps 1-3 to make the batter as above. Pre-heat the air fryer for 10 mins at 190 deg C. Place ½ the batter on a parchment paper with holes after preheating.
- Place half the batter on a parchment paper with holes, and cook it for 8-9 mins at 190 deg C after spraying oil in between.
- Break the vada in small pieces .Spray oil .Cook again for 9-10 mins, spraying oil in between . Repeat for the remaining batter
- Serve air fryer medu vada hot with chutney.
Urad dal vada | Medu Vada ( Air fry / Fry )
Equipment
- kadai/wok/frying pan
- Mixer grinder/blender
- or air fryer for low oil version
Ingredients
- 1 cup urad dal split black lentils,soaked for 4 hours/overnight
- 1 onion medium finely chopped
- Few sprigs of coriander leaf ,finely chopped
- few sprigs of curry leaves
- 8-10 black peppers crushed
- 1 green chilli optional ,finely chopped
- Salt as per taste
- 1 tablespoon rice flour optional
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Grind the urad dal in a mixer grinder with minimal water.
- Pulse it with minimal water to form a smooth batter.
- Add all ingredients and mix well. In case, batter is too watery,add rice flour to it.
Frying (Traditional method )
- Heat oil in a kadai/saucepan.
- Take a small portion of dough and lower them slowly in hot oil with/without hole.
- On a medium flame, fry them until golden brown.
How to make medu vada in air fryer?
- Follow steps 1-3 for the batter. Preheat the air fryer for 10 mins at 190 deg C,
- Place half the batter on a parchment paper with holes, and cook it for 8-9 mins at 190 deg C after spraying oil in between
- Break the vadai in small pieces .Spray oil .Cook again for 9-10 mins, spraying oil in between . Repeat for the remaining batter
- Serve mendu wada hot with coconut chutney or tomato pachadi.
Notes
Nutrition
Variation
You can also make medu vada with urad dal flour instead of grinding urad dal.
FAQs
In case, your mendu wada batter is very runny or watery, you can still fix it. Simply, add some rice flour to it. If you do not have rice flour at home. just grind some rice in a coffee grinder.
Batter should not be very thin. If your batter is too runny, it will absorb more oil. Place the fried vadai on a tissue so that it soaks the extra oil.
Yes urad dal is a very good source of protein and magnesium. Hence, very important for post partum and illness recovery
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