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. It is known by different names. Kannadigas call it as uddina vade. Tamils call it as ulundu vadai. While Telugus call it as garelu, Malayalis call it uzhunnu vada. medu vada sambar and rasam vada are both very popular which are lentil stews served with these savoury lentil donuts. You can have medhu vadai with some coconut , tomato pachdi or ginger chutney if you do not have time to make sambar for sambar vada.
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. I love having it at Kaveri restaurant in Singapore's Changi airport. 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.
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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)
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, folic acid 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.
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 chillies
- Coriander leaves/curry leaves
- Black pepper
- Rice flour optional
- Salt
- Oil for frying
Refer to recipe card for details.
Recipe video for medu vada in air fryer
The below recipe video has the recipe highlights for the medu vada in air fryer
what are different types of vada?
Apart from uddina vada recipe these are the below recipes which are pretty awesome!
- Dal vadai ( Fry/Air fry )
- Dahi bade recipe ( Air fry / Fry )
- Sabudana vade( fry/ air fry)
- Rava idli
- aloo bonda(fry/ air fry)
- Mirchi bada
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.
How to make traditional deep fried medu vadas?
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 Ultra wet grinder/ Preethi mixer grinder/ Vitamix/Ninja.
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
6. Serve them warm with chutney or sambhar.
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!
1.Follow steps 1-3 to make the batter as above.Add 1 teaspoon oil to the batter. Pre-heat the air fryer for 5 mins at 170 deg C.
2. Brush/spray oil into these muffin tins,spoon the batter into metal muffin tins
3. Air fry for 9-10 minutes at 170C|340F
4. Spray/brush oil on top and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes , total cook time of 13-14 minutes.
5. The metal tins are quite hot at this point, leave aside for few minutes and scoop ou the vada with a spoon,serve fresh 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 to make the batter as above.Add 1 teaspoon oil to the batter. Pre-heat the air fryer for 5 mins at 170 deg C.
- Brush/spray oil into these muffin tins,spoon the batter into metal muffin tins.Air fry for 9-10 minutes at 170C | 340F .
- Spray/brush oil on top and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes , total cook time of 13-14 minutes.
- The metal tins are quite hot at this point, leave aside for few minutes and scoop ou the vada with a spoon,Serve mendu wada hot with coconut chutney or tomato pachadi.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Variation
You can also make these crispy vada in the airfryer without the metal cup cake tins.
- In the air fryer basket, place half the batter on a parchment paper with holes, and cook it for 8-9 mins at 170 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. You can also dunk this air fryer vada in beaten yogurt to make a delicious dahi vada.
FAQ
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.
Medu vada 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 after deep frying.
Yes urad dal is a very good source of protein and magnesium. Hence, very important for post partum and illness recovery.
Click here to see more South indian breakfast recipes.
cho says
Hi Bhavana,
Does a regular parchment paper work or do we need the one with holes? Can I randomly cut some holes in the regular one?
bhavana bhatia says
Hi
Just make some holes randomly in regular parchment paper if you do not have one with holes in it already. Basically, air has to pass through the paper so that it cooks evenly.
Hope that helps.
Warm Regards
Bhavana
Cho says
Great thanks!
Will try this out soon 🙂