Ulundu Vadai

Ulundu Vadai /Medu Vada is a popular food item in South Indian and Sri Lankan Tamil cuisines, it is generally eaten as a breakfast or a snack. Its is a fritter made from uradh dhal and it is usually made in the shape of a doughnut . Medhu Vadai / Ulundu Vadai is also a traditional South Indian dish which can be had as a breakfast, snack or even as an accompaniment to lunch. Perfect ulundu vadai are golden brown, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are traditionally served with sambar and coconut chutney. 

(makes 15 large vadai)

Ingredients

2 cups uradh dhal (ulundu)

2 small red onions (finely chopped)

1 green chili (finely chopped)

5 curry leaves (finely chopped)

2 tsp salt or as per taste

1/4 tsp baking soda

2-3 tbsp water

2 tbsp roasted rice flour

Oil for deep frying

Directions

1. Soak urad dhal for at least 4 hours. Then wash it thoroughly and drain the water. 
2. Using a wet grinder, grind the urad dhal with 1 tbsp of water at a time until it becomes a smooth and thick paste. Make sure to grind it well whereas when you rub the batter there shouldn't be any lumps. (Using a good grinder will give you perfect vadai) To check if your batter is in the right consistency, drop a piece of batter on to a bowl of water and see if it floats. If it floats then the batter is right. 
3. Now transfer the batter to a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Keep the batter covered for about 2 hours. 
4. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
5. Make your hands wet with water and take a piece of the batter and shape it like a doughnut. The batter should be able to hold its shape. Then carefully put the shaped vadai into the hot oil. 
   
6. Splash oil on the the surface to and deep fry until golden brown.
7. Serve with coconut chutney. Enjoy!

Coconut Chutney 

Ingredients

1 cup freshly grated coconut

3 green chilies

1/2 lime or lemon

salt as per taste

Directions

Grind everything together using a grinder. Do not add any water.