Uzhunnu/ Urad Dal Vada

Recipe No: 79

The thought of this make my mouth water…. After coming to US, once I found this  Uzhunnu Vada mix and decided to give it a try. It came out well but by the time I finished making it there was only 4 Vadas left. The rest was devoured in between by my husband and kids. So I decided to try it at home from scratch, by rekindling the memories from my childhood when my mother made this by grinding Urad Dal in ‘Aattukallu’ (a big stone grinder that did the work manually) so that I can make it whenever  I want. This needs some care in its making or it will absorb a lot of oil. So please read the ‘Notes’ before you give it a try.

Ingredients                                                Makes 14- 15

• Urad Dal (Uzhunnu)…………..1 Cup (Wash and soak in water for at least 6 hours)
• Shallots sliced………………...….1/2 Cup
• Ginger chopped finely……...….1 Tablespoons
• Green Chilly sliced………….…..1 or 2 (according to your tolerance)
• Whole Black Pepper…………….1/2 Teaspoon (Optional)
• Salt……………………………..…….1/3 Teaspoon
• Curry Leaves……………………...1 Sprig
• Baking Soda……………………….1/8 Teaspoon (Strictly Optional)
• Oil for deep frying

Method of Preparation

1. Drain the soaked Urad Dal, and grind it in a  Food Processor or a grinder into a course paste without using much water (3 or 4 Tablespoons of water will be okay). I got a small 2 cup food prep and that works perfectly too.(Have to do it in two batches)
2. Add Shallots, Ginger, Green Chilly, Black Pepper, Salt, Curry leaves and Baking soda (if using) and mix well.
3. Heat enough oil for deep frying in a deep pan/kadai/wok on a medium high heat. There should be enough oil to cover the Vada comfortably.
4. Wet both of your hands well and take a ‘lemon-sized’ Vada mix in your hand; smooth the surface; make a hole in the center and drop it  into the hot oil.
5. Fry both of the sides until golden brown in color.
6. Drain the excess oil on a paper towel before serving it hot with Sambhar or Chutney.

Notes:

• Soaking of Urad Dal is very important because that will help to grind the Dal without using much water. Too much water will result in the absorption of too much oil and also will make it difficult to shape.
• Grinding the Urad Dal in a stone grinder will aerate the dough naturally and so there is no need to add baking soda. To test whether the dough is aerated enough you can use a simple test. Drop a bit of the dough into a cup of water. If it sinks then your dough is not aerated (aerate it by whipping it with your hands or a hand mixer or simply use Baking Soda) but if your dough floats, it is aerated enough (Thanks to Vahchef of Vahrehvah.com) and there is no need for baking soda. But still if you want your Vada to be extra crispy do use Baking soda.
• Don’t use more baking soda than given in the measurement. Too much of it will make the Vada absorb more oil.
• Too low temperature is also not desirable as it will make the Vada absorb more oil and if the heat is too high, Vada will be browned fast without cooking properly. So use a medium high heat.
• If you want to make this for a party you can grind the Urad Dal and keep in the refrigerator for up to two days. But mix the other ingredients only just before frying. This will stay crispy for 4-5 hours.
• I had seen people adding grated carrots to the Vada batter. In that way, you can surely sneak in some veggies into your kids. A quarter cup of grated Carrot will be enough for this recipe.

Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and
serve it to your family with love…