Medu Vada Using Urad Dal

What makes it specific

• The batter is prepared the same way as a general urad dal vada, soaked, ground with minimal water, and well beaten for air.
• Traditionally shaped by wetting your palm, flattening a portion of batter, and poking a hole through the centre before frying.
• The centre hole helps it cook through evenly, since the vada fries as a ring rather than a solid ball.
• Curry leaves, black pepper and sometimes grated ginger are common additions specific to the medu vada style.
• Served classically with sambar and coconut chutney, a pairing that defines the dish as much as the vada itself.

Our standards

Medu vada questions

What makes medu vada different from a regular vada?

Mainly the shaping, a hand formed ring with a centre hole, and the traditional pairing with sambar and coconut chutney.

Why does medu vada have a hole in the middle?

It helps the vada cook through evenly during frying, since it fries as a ring rather than a thicker solid shape.

Can I shape medu vada without wetting my hands?

Wet hands make the sticky batter much easier to work with. Dry hands tend to make shaping frustrating and messy.

Is the batter different from a standard urad vada batter?

The base batter is essentially the same. What differs is the shaping technique and some traditional flavour additions.