Medu Vada | Uddina Vada | Urad dal Vada

Ingredients:

Black gram (Urad Dal) - 1 cup
Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp
Green Chillies -3 - finely cut
Curry leaves - Few - cut into fine pieces
Salt - As required
Oil



Preparation:

Soak black gram for about 1/2 an hour in water. Wash and drain all water and run it in a blender.  The batter should be thick enough to make vadas and not of runny consistency, so add very less water when grinding it.

Heat a kadai and add oil for deep frying.  As the oil is getting heated up, get the batter ready for use.  Add the finely cut curry leaves, green chillies, asafoetida and salt to the batter and mix well. Take a small square-shaped thick plastic sheet (or banana leaf can also be used) and wet it and spread a small ball of batter on it and press on it softly and shape it like a small circle.  Make a hole in the center and remove from the sheet and drop it very carefully in the oil.  Deep fry it till it is crispy and golden brown on both sides.  Serve hot with chutney or sambar.

**Jeera/cumin seeds and black peppercorns can also be added to the batter.