Instant Medu Vada - how?
Are there days when you crave for Medu Vada (aka Urad dal vada) but forgot to soak the dal? I certainly do so, especially on weekends, Fret not, for we have an Instant version of the Medu Vada / Vadai (Tamil)/ Uddina Vada (as its called in Kannada) or simply Vada (in Indian English).
We already have so many vada varieties on the blog:
- the ubiquitous Vada Sambar
- Anjaneyar Kovil Milagu Vadai (Hanuman ji ka special vada)
- Street food special and a tea time special Masala vadai
- Karnataka special and my fav Maddur Vade
- my hubby's favourite (Tamil)Iyengar Thayir Vadai ,
- Rasam Vada ,
- Bread Dahi vada
- my personal favourite Keerai Vadai (greens vada)
So how do make this Instant Vada ?
Well, its from a homemade Urad Dal Vada Mix (recipe below) that you can prepare at home - very easy and economical too (rather than buy the commercial packets laden with preservatives).
Main Ingredient in Instant Medu Vada - Urad Dal !
Let's talk Lentils - Urad Dal in your favourite idli and dosa contains much needed nutrients such as dietary fibre, magnesium, potassium and folate? Potassium contributes to the maintenance of normal blood pressure while Magnesium contributes to reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Black Urad Dal kali (porridge in Tamil) is particularly given to young menstruating girls to regulate the monthly periods too. Urad dal is a source of Calcium which is needed for the maintenance of normal bones.
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Tips to make fluffy vadas / Bondas using this premix:
- If using the premix from the refrigerator, make sure to bring it to room temperature
- Do not add too much water at once to make this batter. it has to be thick the way we soak and grind urad dal to make the Vadai batter. Once it soaks a bit, make sure to beat it very well (using an electric whisk till fluffy)
- Refreigerate the batter without salt for ½ hour, then add a pinch of baking soda and little salt before making this vadai. That way, it soaks up much lesser oil
- If you don't have access to Banana leaf to pat the vadai, then use greased parchment to make the vadai.
- Make sure to use fresh and whole urad dal to make the batter. That affects the quality of the premix, and thereofre the vadai too.
- The same batter can be spooned into paniyaram pan / abelskiver pan if one wants to avoid deep frying. That way, the paniyarmm pan vadais can be used to make dahi bhalla / Thayir. vadai or Urad dal Bonda too !
Let's get to making Instant Medu Vada in 2 stages
Today's recipe is a 2-in-1 recipe with
a) How to make readymade homemade Instant Urad dal mix
b) How to use the readymade mix to make Instant Urad dal vada / Medu Vada
PART A:
To make the homemade Urad dal vada Mix, we need :
- 1 cup of Urad dal (split black gram)
- Salt - to taste
- Soda bi carb - 1 teaspoon (split use, see notes)
Did you know ? ????
Black Gram (Urad dal, especially in the whole unpolished form) is very good for patients with diabetes as it regulates the glucose levels in the blood. It is good for your skin and can help fight dark spots, acne, and marks. It helps with joint pain, is extremely good for the heart, and is also a diuretic that helps keep your body clean. Adding black gram to your diet can boost your overall health by a significant margin. (Source)
How to make the Instant Medu Vada Mix
- Wash the Urad dal in a colander twice or thrice as shown in the pic collage above.
- Spread to dry on a thin white clean cloth till its full dry.
- Grind it in small batches to a smooth powder (Urad dal takes quite an effort to powder, so advised to powder in batches)
- Sieve it well thrice over.
- Add ¼ teaspoon salt and a pinch of soda bi carb and sieve it once again to mix fully.
- Store this in airtight containers / ziploc bags and use when required.
- Recommend to put it in the freezer to use when required.
PIN FOR LATER
PART B:
How to make the Instant Vada with the homemade batter.
We need:
- Urad dal vada mix (from above) - 1 cup
- Water - ¼ to ⅓ cup
- Add on spices : Chopped green chillies, Grated fresh coconut, ginger, Chopped curry leaves cumin and crushed pepper - all to taste
- veggies - optional - Minced onions / grated cabbage / Grated carrots
How to make the Vada using Instant Vada Mix
- Take 1 part of the batter, add the add on spices and mix well. Add water ¼ to ⅓ cup depending on the batter and urad dal flour quality to get a thickish batter as shown in the collage below.
- Fluff the batter with a whisk till well aerated.
- Make small roundels like the normal vada, pat it on a banana leaf / plastic sheet and make the dough nut shaped vada.
- Deep fry in medium flame till the vadas are crunchy golden brown.
- Serve hot with Tiffin Sambhar / Darshini Sambhar
How to make Instant Medu Vada using Homemade Mix
Make Instant Medu Vada with homemade Vada Mix powder
Equipment
- Bowl
- Ladle
- Dry Grinder
- Sieve
- pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup Urad dal / Split black gram
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda split use, see tips in recipe card
To make the Vada
- 1 cup Medu Vada Mix powder (made above)
- ¼ cup Water
- 1 tablespoon Green Chillies
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Coriander
- 1 teaspoon Ginger
- ⅓ teaspoon Black Pepper powder
- 2 cup Oil To Deep fry
Instructions
- Wash the Urad dal in a colander twice or thrice as shown in the pic collage above.1 cup Urad dal / Split black gram
- Spread to dry on a thin white clean cloth till its full dry.
- Grind it in small batches to a smooth powder (Urad dal takes quite an effort to powder, so advised to powder in batches)
- Sieve it well thrice over.
- Add ¼ teaspoon salt and a pinch of soda bi carb and sieve it once again to mix fully.1 teaspoon Baking Soda, 1 teaspoon salt
- Store this in airtight containers / ziploc bags and use when required.
- Recommend to put it in the freezer to use when required.
To make the Vada with the Readymade mix
- Take 1 part of the batter, add the add on spices and mix well. Add water ¼ to ⅓ cup depending on the batter and urad dal flour quality to get a thickish batter as shown in the collage below.¼ cup Water, 1 tablespoon Green Chillies, 1 teaspoon Fresh Coriander, 1 teaspoon Ginger, ⅓ teaspoon Black Pepper powder
- Fluff the batter with a whisk till well aerated.
- Heat oil in a deep bottomed kadai2 cup Oil
- Make small roundels like the normal vada, pat it on a banana leaf / plastic sheet and make the dough nut shaped vada.
- Deep fry in medium flame till the vadas are crunchy golden brown.
- Serve hot with Tiffin Sambhar / Darshini Sambhar
Tips to make fluffy vadas / Bondas using this premix:
- If using the premix from the refrigerator, make sure to bring it to room temperature
- Do not add too much water at once to make this batter. it has to be thick the way we soak and grind urad dal to make the Vadai batter. Once it soaks a bit, make sure to beat it very well (using an electric whisk till fluffy)
- Refreigerate the batter without salt for ½ hour, then add a pinch of baking soda and little salt before making this vadai. That way, it soaks up much lesser oil
- If you don't have access to Banana leaf to pat the vadai, then use greased parchment to make the vadai.
- Make sure to use fresh and whole urad dal to make the batter. That affects the quality of the premix, and thereofre the vadai too.
- The same batter can be spooned into paniyaram pan / abelskiver pan if one wants to avoid deep frying. That way, the paniyarmm pan vadais can be used to make dahi bhalla / Thayir. vadai or Urad dal Bonda too !
Notes
- Store the Ready made mix in ziploc and freeze for upto 2 months.
- This mix is made with whole urad dal (skinless).
- Be sure to dry the dal well and grind the urad dal till fine.
- Do not soak the dal else the powder won't be dry enough. Just wash it in a colander under running water
- Dry the dal completely before grinding
- Use a heavy duty grinder to make the smooth vada mix
- Depending on the urad dal quantity and quality, the water consumed may differ slightly. Make sure you have a thick batter to shape the vadas
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Priya Vj says
This is a wonderful and very handy home made vada mix. I am definitely going to try a small batch . We all love vadai at home
Kalyani says
Thanks - do try this at home, Priya
Poonam Bachhav says
My family loves medu vada to the core and i often make it on weekends. With your homemade vada mix, i can make them instantly.
Mayuri Patel says
Hubby loves medu vada and yes there are times when I forget to soak the dal overnight. We sometimes get ready urad flour, so do you think I can use that? Love how you've strung the vada on a long cocktail stick.
Sujata Roy says
Very useful recipe Kalyani. I love udad dal vada so I will try it soon. I will skip baking soda so that I can also use to make stuffed kachodi. Thanks for sharing. Also loved your presentation.
Priya Iyer says
We absolutely adore Vadai, but I don't make it often because it's so labour-intensive. Now that I have your recipe for home-made vada mix, I can make it more frequently! Beautiful share. 🙂 The vadas look crispy, delicious and inviting.
Sasmita says
such a very useful recipe kalyani. use of homemade vada flour to make vada is a nice and quick option to make instantly !
preethi'scuisine says
Home made instant medu vada mix is fabulous. I will surely try this medu vada mix as my family loves vada. It will save so much time and can satisfy our sudden vada cravings.Medu Vada looks so crisp.
Vasusvegkitchen says
Medu vadaa is almost every one favorite, loved the way you prepared it using homemade vada mix. This mix is very helpful and handy to prepare vada when unplanned.
Narmadha says
Wow. instant medu vada with urad dal powder looks interesting and so simple to make. Perfect to make when we have some sudden guests.
Priya Srinivasan says
Wow instant medu vada mix, what a brilliant idea kalyani! I know many who find it hard to get a proper vada batter for many reasons, this is a handy mix, to make vadai anytime, with no fuss of soaking and grinding! I m definitely trying this out!
Kalyani says
Thanks so much,Priya. Yes it's a beginner's dilemma to make this perfectly. Do try and let me know how to make it
Veena Krishnakumar says
wow Klayani. Vadai mix!!! This is such a easy recipe for the ones who are scared to make the vadai and I am going to make a batch to send it to vibha along with this recipe link. Making this right away. Thank you for sharing such a lovely recipe
Kalyani says
Thanks so much Veena. Yes, I make this often for pandigais when I am pressed for time or even to make paniyaram ulundu bonda to avoid the deep fry.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
This is so convenient to have in hand. Grinding the perfect medhu vada batter is not easy and this will come in so handy. Now I have even more reason to buy a small home mill. I will definitely be keeping this hand.
Kalyani says
Thanks Sandhya, yes this is a very handy pre-mix
Archana says
Wow! I can get the ready-made urid dal flour and make some. Will it work? I definitely love the idea of making the flour mix for the vadai.
Kalyani says
yes, Archana. Readymade Urad flour is easy too.