Nammathu Samayal: Medhu Vadai

I am still in the learning phase of making perfect medhu vadai. Mine tastes very good, I gurantee that. But the shape and size can be made better. The stage before this was worse, I could not make the hole in the vadai, I just drop the mavu like small bondas.

Then I learnt it from my mami, she taught me how simple it is. Making it bigger size like we get in retail shops is still in progress state.

Tips:

· Vadai is best made when made using wet grinder. Since we can grind with less water and low heat and yields more quantity

· Grind the urad dal separately. Do not add the onion / chilies and other stuff while grinding. Mix them with the batter at last

Ingredients:

· Urad dal – 3 cups

· Rice flour – 1.5 tbsp (Gives the crispness)

· Asofetida powder – ¼ tsp

· Curry leaves – fistful – roughly chopped

· Green chilies – 2 - finely chopped

· Whole Black pepper – 2 tbsp (Can also be crushed a lil)

· Salt to taste

· Oil to deep fry.

Preparation:

Soak Urad dal for an hour.

Grind the urad dal into smooth batter (about 20 mins in wet grinder). when u put the batter in water, it should float, it should not dissolve. That is the right stage.

Roughly chop curry leaves. Finely chop green chilies.

Method:

Add rice flour, assofitida powder, chopped curry leaves, chilies, black pepper to the urad dal batter.

Add salt to taste. Be careful while adding salt since vadai will end up salty when u add more.

Heat the oil in a Kadai.

Once heated up, change the heat to low. Keep a bowl of water nearby. Dip ur fingers in water. This will prevent from the batter sticking in ur fingers. Take a medium lemon sized ball of batter. Slightly ease it in ur fingers so that it becomes flat and put a hole in the centre with your thumb. Carefully drop it reverse in the oil near the side the kadai. Putting it reverse is easier and it retains the shape.