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Vada – who will miss this ?

Vada is the traditional food of south India.

There are different varieties of vada that are prepared but they all fall in two major categories, Medu vada and masala vada. No festival in south Indian homes can go without having it. It is all known facts for a south Indian men, but for someone in north has to know the basic information about vada, mostly its shape, color and also the preparation.

Usually vada will be in circular shape with one exception for medhu vada having a hole the center. It will have beautiful slight orange and yellow color combination. They are prepared mostly using black grams and Bengal grams.

Most South Indians consider breakfast incomplete without Medu Vada. Whether they have idli, dosa, pongal or upma, they like to add a crispy, tasty and protein-rich urad dal vada to the platter. In fact, when you have breakfast in a South Indian restaurant, even in the remote villages, you will be fascinated to see the waiter reel out the list of breakfast combos, almost all of them featuring vada. Serving them fresh with sambhar and coconut chutney however is doubly delightful.

How to Prepare Medu Vada:

Clean, wash and soak the urad dal in enough water for at least 2 hours.

Drain, add the green chillies, pepper, curry leaves and ginger and blend in a mixer to a smooth batter, adding little water.

Add the salt and mix well and divide the mixture into 8 equal portions. Keep aside.

Wet your hand.

Take a portion of the mixture in your hand.

Make a hole in the center with your thumb.

Heat oil in a kadhai, upturn your hand and drop the Vada in oil.

Deep fry the Vada till both sides turn golden brown in color.

Repeat with the remaining batter to make 7 more medu Vadas.

Drain on absorbent paper. Serve hot with fried coconut chutney and sambhar.

There is a common talk  that vada that are prepared from batter which is grinded manually using “aatu kal” will be of more taste when compared with vada made from batter that are machine grinded, usually a grinder.

The taste also depends on the quality of oil and dal which is used. So care should be taken to use quality grocery items. Vada is available in restaurants mostly during breakfast and in the evening. Peoples travelling south India should not miss the taste of vada by at least giving a try. Eat Vada and explore the taste of south India.

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