Ulundhu(Urdhal) vadai/Medhu vadai
Ulundhu(Urdhal) vadai/Medhu vadai is a great and tasty appetizer. Also, we make this vadai for most of the festivals for neyvedhyam (offering to the god). Medhu vadai with idli, pongal, sambar & Chutney is a famous breakfast combo in Southern Part of India. Almost all restaurants serve this vada for breakfast and also during evening snacks time. Making a perfect batter is the secret of this recipe. The batter should be thick and also fluffy then only the vadas will be crispier outside and soft inside. For normal snacks, we can also add chopped onions that will enhance the taste. But for Neivedhyam we don’t add onions.
Quicker Video without Voiceover
| Preparation Time | 5 mins |
| Cooking Time | 15 mins |
| Yield | 15 |
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| Medhu Vadai | Ulundhu Vadai |
Preparation and Yield:
| Preparation time | 3 hours |
| Cooking Time | 30 mins |
| Yield | 12-15 Vada |
| Recipe Category | Snacks |
| Recipe Cuisine | South Indian |
Ingredients:
| Urad Dal | 1 Cup* |
| Raw Rice | 2 teapsoon |
| Salt | To taste |
| Green Chilli | 2 |
| Chopped Ginger | 1 teapsoon |
| Curry Leaves | few |
| Oil | for deep frying |
* 1 Cup = 250ml
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| Medhu Vadai | Ulundhu Vadai |
Method:
- Soak the Ulundhu(Urad Dal) and rice in water for 2-3 hour
- Strain it and grind it along with green chilli and salt in a grinder by adding 1 handful of water. Grind it till the urdhal is smooth without any lumps. If we grind it in mixer, just add water little by little at a time and grind it till the batter is smooth. Do not add more water then we can’t shape the vadas.
- Sprinkle water only if necessary.
- Take it from grinder after the Urad Dal is ground properly. If you take the flour in your wet hands, it should roll like a ball. If we drop a pinch of batter in water, it should float it in water. If the batter gets sunk, then we need to grind it more. This is the right stage to remove from the grinder. If we are grinding in mixer, then take out the smooth vada batter and beat it nicely for 3-5 minutes using a whisk or ladle. This will aerate the batter. This step is very important and not to be skipped, we if are grinding batter in mixer, otherwise, the vadas will be harder.
5. Add the finely chopped ginger,curry leaves and mix well
6. Now Heat the oil in pan and once the oil is hot, add a little amount of flour to check for the readiness of oil. If the flour comes up right way, then the oil is ready
7. In a banana leaf or small plastic cover, add little amount of urdhal flour and make small hole in the middle and spread the flour and then take it from leaf using water and add it to the pan. I normally wet my palm and add small ball of batter, pat it and make a small hole in center and drop it in oil.
8. Add 4-5 vada to oil. Slowly change the vadai to other side to cook properly in both sides
9. Once the vadai becomes golden brown color, remove from flame
10. The yummy Urad Dal vadai(Medhuvadai) is ready to serve / ready for neyvedhyam. For neyvedhyam we don’t add onion.
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| Medhu Vadai | Ulundhu Vadai |
Note:
For making this vadai on a normal day, we can add finely chopped onions with the batter and make scrumptious vadas.
Tips from subbu’s kitchen follower:
About the crispiness of Medhu Vadai, I make them very crispy by soaking them longer, and frying them on low fire/less power on induction cooker. I will have the oil boiling and then will bring it to low to medium before dropping the vadai batter into it. Fry it longer in low temp, the vadais will remain crispy and fresh for longer time. Also, less oily as well. I don’t make much of fuss about the whole in the middle, and instead make shallow scoops on spoon and make flatter vadais for even cooking. This will allow my batter more softer with water, hence softer crispier and melting fried vadais in the end.
About the crispiness of Medhu Vadai, I make them very crispy by soaking them longer, and frying them on low fire/less power on induction cooker. I will have the oil boiling and then will bring it to low to medium before dropping the vadai batter into it. Fry it longer in low temp, the vadais will remain crispy and fresh for longer time. Also, less oily as well. I don’t make much of fuss about the whole in the middle, and instead make shallow scoops on spoon and make flatter vadais for even cooking. This will allow my batter more softer with water, hence softer crispier and melting fried vadais in the end.
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| Medhu Vadai | Ulundhu Vadai |
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Hmmm…. Your vadai looks so crispy & yummy… Mouth watering… Nice picture!!
hi i tried this this came out real good and its crispy too…but i cldnt put holes in middle …even if i put holes the flour covers it while dropping in oil…can u help me with that…thanks..
Hi Indu
Glad that the Vadai turn out to be good. don't worry much about the hole. This is because you made the dough little watery. The dough should be in right consistency for you make the hole. It doesn't matter, if you have a hole in the Vadai or not.. just enjoy the taste.
ok thanks but i will try it again less watery and do with hole too…thanks for ur recipee again…
Hi,
I tried your receipe, but I didn't get the crispiness. Can you tell me how long I need to grind the urad dahl?
Suganthi
hi…if its for neyvedhyam, how can we add onions?
Hello Ma'am,All your recipes are really mouth watering and I have tried few which turned out GREAT!!
I feel we may put hole except in srardham….
There is a fool poof method to ensure crispiness. Soak urad dal for atleast 6-7 hrs and grind it,vadas would be super crispy
There is a fool poof method to ensure crispiness. Soak urad dal for atleast 6-7 hrs and grind it,vadas would be super crispy
even some times quality of the dal is not nice, u won't get vada crisp, but soaking too long doesn't get crisp.Put little water,soak for a short time grind thick not watery,then u will get crisp vadas but wash and soak:)
Hi Mami,
I love your recipes and try making them regularly. I love your recipes for their simplicity, authenticity, and ultimate taste!
About the crispiness of Medhu Vadai, I make them very crispy by soaking them longer, and frying them on low fire/less power on induction cooker. I will have the oil boiling and then will bring it to low to medium before dropping the vadai batter into it. Fry it longer in low temp, the vadais will remain crispy and fresh for longer time. Also, less oily as well. I don't make much of fuss about the whole in the middle, and instead make shallow scoops on spoon and make flatter vadais for even cooking. This will allow my batter more softer with water, hence softer crispier and melting fried vadais in the end.
Lovely thanks for sharing 🙂
Mami, your recipes are excellent !!! I have tried many recipes of yours and all have come really Good. Thanks for sharing all your experiences and learning's. Could you please share the recipe of ''PORULANGA URUNDAI'' , if you can.
Mam did u grind it in a Mixer or Grinder…
I used mixer.
hellow
i am raji ramakrishnan from rasavinsuvai.blogspot.in. would like to know whether you know any mantram to be chanted while performing chutti podal for kan drishti. since i could not find any option to ask you in your site, i posted it here. either you can reply here or on my e mail id rajirk22111989@gmail.com. thanks will be grateful to you.
The madhu wadi turned out really good with your recipe. First attempt, really enjoyed them – will make them sometimes for tea snack.
Great to know.
The vadai came out perfect. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thanks for the feedback
Can we make the batter and store in the fridge and make it next day?
yes we can refrigerate the batter and do it later. But more time we keep, sometimes the batter tends to absorb more oil.