Medu Vada

RecipenKitchen Recipe 4 h 55 min · Serves 4 · Indian

Why make it Crisp-shelled, fluffy-centred South Indian doughnut fritters made from ground urad dal, black pepper and curry leaves. A satisfying breakfast to dunk in chutney and sambar.

You’ll need

Serves 4 300 g split skinless urad dal (dhuli mash ki daal), rinsed… 80 ml ice-cold water, for grinding, added a little at a time 1 tsp fine salt 1 tsp black peppercorns, coarsely crushed 2 tbsp fresh curry leaves, finely chopped 2 green chillies, finely chopped 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated 2 tbsp fresh coconut, cut into small thin pieces (optional) + 3 more in the full recipe

1 Step 1 of 9 Rinse the urad dal in several changes of water, then cover with plenty of fresh water and soak for 4 hours. The grains should feel soft and break easily when pressed between your fingers.

2 Step 2 of 9 Drain the dal very well and shake off as much water as you can. Chill the dal in the fridge for 10 minutes while you prepare the flavourings, as cold dal grinds into a lighter batter.

3 Step 3 of 9 Grind the dal in a blender or wet grinder in two batches, adding the ice-cold water 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape down the sides often and stop when the batter is thick, smooth and fluffy, about 5 to 8 minutes in total.

4 Step 4 of 9 Test the batter by dropping a small spoonful into a bowl of water. If it floats, it is ready. If it sinks, whisk it hard with your hand for 1 to 2 minutes and test again.

5 Step 5 of 9 Scrape the batter into a large bowl. Fold in the salt, crushed pepper, curry leaves, chillies, ginger, coconut and asafoetida. If the batter is too loose to hold a shape, fold in the rice flour. The last 4 steps are in the full recipe.

Cook’s tip Use ice-cold water and add it sparingly. Too much water makes a batter that soaks up oil and will not hold its shape.

Medu Vada

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