Recipe: Medhu Vada and Dahi Vada

The humble medhu vada doesn’t make too many demands on ingredients and it isn’t difficult to make either!

Piping hot medhu vadas, just like pakoras and bhajias are a perfect snack for a cold, rainy day. But if you aren’t a fan of piping hot food, then you can turn medhu vadas into dahi vadas to enjoy a cold starter on a muggy, summery afternoon.

Medhu Vada:

 Serves 2

Ingredients:
Urad dal: 1 cup (soaked overnight)
Green chilies: ½ finely chopped
Ginger: 1 teaspoon finely chopped
Onion (optional): 1 tablespoon finely chopped
Curry leaves: 4-5 leaves
Oil: for deep frying

Seasoning:
Salt: to taste
Hing or asafetida: one pinch

Method:
Soak the urad dal overnight or at least for six hours. Grind them coarsely using very little water. It is crucial that the batter isn’t too runny as you won’t be able to make a perfectly donut shaped vadas. Add salt, asafetida (hing), chillis, ginger, onion (optional), and curry leaves and mix thoroughly.

Wet the palm of one hand and take a small golf ball sized batter in the other and place it in the wet palm and create a donut shaped vada. Dip it in hot oil and fry until crisp and golden. Fry one vada at a time.

 

Your medhu vadas are ready! They are at their best when they are piping hot and can be had with chutney or sambhar or both!

Dahi Vada:

Serves 2

Ingredients:
Vadas
Yoghurt: 2 cups set yoghurt
Salt: a pinch
Sugar: a pinch
Chaat masala: 1 spoon
Coriander: finely chopped 1 tablespoon

Follow the same procedure above for the vadas. Soak the vadas in cold water for 10 minutes after . Remove the vadas and press them to remove excess water and oil.

Take a tray and add yoghurt, chaat masala, salt, sugar, and coriander. Blend gently but thoroughly. Pour over the vadas and refrigerate them for an hour or two. Enjoy your dahi vadas!