Medu vada recipe
Crisp and fluffy Medu vada recipe
Learn how to make medu vada with step by steps. Easy to make crisp medu vada recipe like restaurants style. Medu vada dipped in sambar and coconut chutney are always a favourite breakfast food that you can enjoy in all sessions.
Medu vada is a South Indian breakfast fritter made with urad dal, spices and curry leaves. These are deep fried till crisp golden and having a doughnut like shape. Medu vada are served with sambar and coconut chutney. These vada are also made during festival seasons without onions, ginger, pepper and chillies based on family customs.
What is Medu Vada?
Medu vada is a popular South Indian snack and breakfast item known for its distinctive doughnut-like shape, crispy exterior, and soft, fluffy interior. Made from a batter of urad dal (split black gram), which is soaked and ground into a thick paste, and then deep-fried until golden brown. The batter is seasoned with ingredients like green chilies, curry leaves, ginger, onions, and salt to enhance its flavor
The origins of Medu Vada can be traced back to ancient India, where it was first mentioned in early Sanskrit texts. Over the centuries, it has undergone numerous transformations, but its essence has remained constant. Originally prepared as a simple, fried lentil dumpling, Medu Vada has evolved into a gourmet delight with various regional adaptations.
Medu Vada is a delicacy in South Indian cuisine and is often served with accompaniments
such as coconut chutney and sambar. Its name, "Medu," originates from
the Kannada word "Medu," meaning soft, which accurately describes the
vada's tender and airy texture on the inside. This dish is enjoyed not only in
South India but also across the country and in various parts of the world. If you are looking for more Indian breakfast menu lists or ideas then this post can be a good source for you, Indian breakfast menu list.
Ingredients required to make the recipe
Urad dal : You can either use whole or broken urad dal.
Spices : Whole cumin seeds, crushed black pepper, chopped green chillies and salt.
Coconut : Fresh coconut finely and thinly chopped.
Curry leaf : Fresh curry leaves
Oil : Oil for deep frying.
Onion : Finely chopped onions (optional)
Steps to make medu vada recipe
1. Making medu vada batter
Soak 2 cup urad dal ( split black gram) for 3 - 4 hours or overnight.
Drain the water and grind into a smooth batter adding 2 to 3 teaspoon water. Make sure not to make the batter very thin. It should be fluffy and thick. Transfer the batter into a bowl and beat clock wise direction for few seconds. This will help the batter more fluffy.
You can check the right consistency of medu vada batter by dropping a small drop of the batter in a bowl of water. If the batter drop float and don't get dissolved then it is the right consistency for medu vada batter.
And if the consistency is very thin then the batter won't float. You can add some semolina or urad dal flour for instant relief. You can even add rice flour and beat the batter and correct its thickness.
You don't need to ferment medu vada batter, it can be used instantly after making the batter.
We can store the medu vada batter for 2 - 3 days to use later in the fridge.Now add the chopped curry leaves, cumin seeds, crushed black peppercorns, chopped green chillies, chopped coconut pieces and salt into the batter and mix nicely. Medu vada batter is ready to go and it does not require to fermenting.
2. Making the shape of the vada
Take a bowl with water and dip your right hand with water. Then take a small portion of the batter with wet hand and give round shape by shaking the hand.
With thumb slightly flatten the ball and make a whole in the centre.
Otherwise you can use both of your hands to shape it. Just make sure it looks like a doughnut shape.
However you can use a plastic sheet and grease it with oil. Then with wet hand place some batter on the plastic piece and make a round shape. With thumb make a whole in the centre. Before frying carefully lift the vada and drop in hot oil. Now a days you can buy a vada maker to make medu wada with perfect doughnut shape without any hassle. You just need to put the wada batter inside the wada maker container and press the knob while holding it over hot oil. The batter fall with the whole in the centre like perfectly shaped wada.
3. Frying the wada
Heat oil in a kadai or in a deep pan over medium heat flame. Once the oil become hot lower the flame to low. Now face the palm of the hand with the vada towards the oil. And gently shake to drop the vada into the hot oil. The vada will rise without browning a lot. Similarly add more vada into the oil and fry.
Once the vada are slightly golden then flip to another side and continue frying till crisp golden.
How to make instant medu vada ?
For instant medu vada you don't need to soak the dal. Instead of urad dal you can use rice flour or semolina. Curd ( yogurt) is use for the taste. Mix water with curd and nicely. Add rice flour or rawa (semolina). Make a lumps free batter. Add the rest of the ingredients like curry leaves, green chillies, coconut pieces and salt. Mix everything nicely and transfer to a cooking pan and cook till thickens and comes together. Stir continuously while cooking. When the dough become thick enough to make the ball, remove and transfer in a plate.Now shape them and deep fry. If using rava then mix with curd and little water and allow to soak for 15 minutes. Then add all ingredients and make a thick batter. You can add a small pinch of soda as well to make them more fluffy. Shape and fry.
Medu Vada
Published: Aug |
Updated: Dec
★★★★★
4.9 stars from
12 votes
Medu wada is a popular breakfast served with sambar and coconut chutney. These vada are crispy from outside and soft from inside and having doughnut like shape. You can easily make them at home using mixer grinder.
Ingredients
- 2 cups urad dal ( split black gram)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns ( crushed)
- 1 sprig curry leaves (chopped)
- 2 green chillies ( chopped)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh coconut pieces
- 1 medium onion chopped ( optional)
- Salt as per taste
- Oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Soak the urad dal for 3 - 4 hours or overnight. Grind them to a smooth batter. If required add little ice cold water.
- Add cumin seeds, crushed black peppercorns, curry leaves, green chillies, coconut pieces and salt. Give everything a good mix.
Making medu vada
- Heat oil in a kadai or deep vessel pan in medium flame heat. Once the oil become hot lower the flame to low.
- Take a bowl of water and apply some water on one hand from the bowl. Take some batter with the wet hand and roll to give a round shape. With the thumb make a whole in the centre and give the wada its shape like a doughnut.
- Add or slip the wada into the hot oi carefully. Once the vada become slightly golden then turn over and fry further. Similarly a fry the remaining vada.
- When they become crisp golden from all sides remove on a kitchen tissue to remove any excess oil.
Chef's Notes
- You should beat the batter in one direction ( either clockwise or anti clockwise) for 40 to 50 seconds to push sone air to make more fluffy. If using wet grinder then don't need to do this.
- Make sure the batter is thick enough to hold as thin batter will absorb oil while frying.
- You can add small amount of rice flour into the batter to make them more crisp.
- Fry the vada in medium heat flame hot oil. High heat flame oil will cook them from outside not from inside. The resulting vada will not become crisp.
📊 Nutrition (Per Serving)
| Calories | 170 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 4g |
| Fat | 6g |
| Carbs | 24g |
What to serve with medu vada ?
This popular South Indian snacks is often served with various accomplishments that enhance its flavour and texture. Below are some popular traditional items that goes well with it.
- Coconut Chutney: This is a classical accomplishment provide a creamy and slightly spicy contrast to the vada.
- Sambhar: A tangy and spicy lentil soup with vegetables, Sambar pair extremely well with it. You can either dip or pour sambar over the vada.
- Tomato Chutney, Mint Chutney and Tamarind chutney are also goes fantastic with medu vada.
- Some south Indian pickles like mango, lemon also goes well as a side dish and provide an extra punch of flavour.
How to make Sambar for medu vada ?
Medu vada is served with hot sambar and cold fresh coconut chutney. These two are inseparable side dish served with medu vada. Medu vada sambar is a lentil and vegetable based stew or soup that can be easily made at home like restaurant. You need following ingredients :
- Toor dal or a combination of masoor dal, toor dal and moong dal .
- Preferred vegetables are drumsticks, red pumpkin and eggplantS.
- For tempering (tadka) a curry leave, mustard seeds, methi seeds and 1 or 2 broken dried red chillies.
- Other ingredients are sambar masala powder, tamarind, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, hing powder, jaggery and salt.
First pressure cooked the the dal and then mash them nicely. Boil the vegetables and soak tamarind and jaggery in light warm water. When the vegetables are almost cooked, add the spice powder and tamarind water. Then pour the mashed dal mixture and cook for some time.
Now make the tempering by frying mustard seeds, methi seeds, curry leaves and red chilli in ghee or oil and pour over the sambar.
How to make coconut chutney for Medu vada?
Medu vada chutney is made from fresh coconut. First peel a fresh coconut and grate it very nicely. Now take the grated coconut in a blender jar. Add roasted chana dal, green chillies, salt, cumin seeds and ginger. Blend using some water into a smooth chutney. You can even add some fresh coriander leaves while grinding the chutney to add a nice flavour. Remove the chutney in a bowl and tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Serve along with sambar and vada.
Medu vada recipe video
Can I use Mixer grinder to make medu vada batter?
Using a wet grinder you can easily make the batter for medu vada and you don't need further to beat it. However using a mixer grinder ( blender) to make the batter you need to follow some tips...
Start with very little ice cold water
Scrape off the sides and grind
Add water after every 2 - 3 spins and keep wiping the sides of the grinder.
Keep the ground dal batter in a bowl and beat with your hand or spatula in one direction to make fluffy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1. What is Medu Vada made of?
Medu Vada is primarily made of Urad Dal (skinned black gram lentils). The lentils are soaked, ground into a fluffy batter, and seasoned with cumin, black pepper, green chilies, ginger, and curry leaves before being deep-fried.
Q2. Which state is Medu Vada famous in?
Medu Vada is a staple breakfast dish across all South Indian states, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. Its origins are often traced to the Maddur region in Karnataka.
Q3. How long should I soak Urad Dal for Medu Vada?
You should soak the Urad Dal for at least 4 to 5 hours. Over-soaking (more than 8 hours) can make the batter soak up too much oil, while under-soaking makes the vadas hard.
Q4. How do I make Medu Vada crispy and not oily?
To get crispy vadas:
Grind with minimal water: The batter must be thick.
Aerate the batter: Beat the batter vigorously for 5 minutes to trap air inside.
Add Rice Flour: Mix in 1 tablespoon of rice flour per cup of dal.
Check Oil Heat: Fry on medium-high heat. If the oil is not hot enough, the vada acts like a sponge and absorbs oil.
Q5. How can I shape Medu Vada without it sticking to my hands?
The trick is to keep your hands wet. Dip your fingers in a bowl of water before touching the batter. This prevents sticking and helps the batter slide off your hand easily into the oil. You can also shape them on a wet banana leaf or a plastic sheet.
Q6. Do I need to add baking soda to the batter?
No, baking soda is not necessary if you prepare the batter correctly. If you grind the dal smoothly and beat the batter well to aerate it (until it passes the "float test" in water), the vadas will naturally turn out soft and fluffy.
Q7. What should I do if my Medu Vada batter becomes watery?
Don't panic! You can fix watery batter by:
Adding 1–2 tablespoons of Rice Flour or Semolina (Rava) to thicken it.
Refrigerating the batter for 30 minutes to firm it up.
Note: Avoid adding wheat flour or gram flour (besan) as it changes the authentic taste.
Q8. What can I do with leftover Medu Vada batter?
Leftover batter is very versatile. You can:
Make Punugulu (small, round crispy fritters).
Make Dahi Vada (soaked in yogurt).
Spread it like a thick pancake to make Adai.
Ferment it overnight to make Urad Dal Dosa.
Q9. How many calories are in one Medu Vada?
One medium-sized Medu Vada (approx. 40g) contains roughly 90 to 140 calories. The calorie count varies significantly based on how much oil the vada absorbs during frying.
Q10. How much protein is in Medu Vada?
Since it is made of lentils, Medu Vada is a decent source of plant-based protein. One piece typically contains 3 to 5 grams of protein.
Q11. Is Medu Vada good for weight loss?
While Medu Vada is high in protein and gluten-free, it is deep-fried, making it calorie-dense. It is generally not recommended for active weight loss unless you make a non-fried version using an Appam pan or Air Fryer.
Q12. Is Medu Vada healthy?
It is a "healthier" junk food compared to refined flour (maida) snacks because Urad dal is rich in iron, folic acid, calcium, and magnesium. However, due to the deep-frying, it should be consumed in moderation.
Some more popular breakfast you can make along with these vada are
NICE TO MEET YOU!
I’m Mobasir Hassan, Executive Sous Chef with the Radisson Hotel Group. After years in hotel kitchens, I now share chef-tested recipes, step-by-step cooking techniques, and restaurant-style dishes that home cooks can recreate with confidence. I’m glad you’re here!
