Medu vada
Alternative names | Uddina vade, medhu vada, uzhunnu vada, ulundu vadai, urad vada, minapa garelu, ulundu wade |
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Type | Fritter |
Course | Breakfast |
Place of origin | India |
Region or state | South India |
Serving temperature | Warm (with sambar and coconut chutney) or room temperature (with yogurt) |
Cookbook: Medu vada Media: Medu vada |
Medu vada (pronounced [meːd̪ʊ vəɽaː]; literally "soft vada") is an Indian fritter made from Vigna mungo (black lentil or urad dal). It is usually made in doughnut-shape, with a crispy exterior and soft interior.[1] A popular food item in the South Indian[2] and Sri Lankan cuisines, it is generally eaten as a breakfast or a snack.[1][3]
Etymology
"Medu" is the Kannada word for "soft"; "medu vada" thus literally means "soft fritter".[1][4] The dish is often mentioned simply as "vada" on menus.[5]
Other names for the dish include urad vada, medhu vadai, ulundu vadai (Tamil), garelu (Telugu), and uzhunnu vada (Malayalam).[6][7]
History
According to Vir Sanghvi, the origin of medu vada can be traced with "some certainty" to the Maddur town in present-day Karnataka. The dish was made popular outside South India by Udupi restaurateurs of Mumbai.[5]
Preparation
The medu vada is made primarily of black lentils (urad dal) batter.[1] The black lentils are soaked in water for several hours, and then ground to a paste.[1] The paste may be flavoured with other ingredients such as asafoetida, methi seeds (fenugreek), ginger, cumin seeds, black pepper, curry leaves, chillies and coconut pieces.[1] It is then patted into doughnut-shapes and fried in oil until golden brown.[1][2]
One variation involves baking instead of frying.[1] Other variations of the dish involve use of pulses other than black lentils. For example, am-bada (or aama vadai) is made with chana dal (split chickpea lentil); occasionally, tuar (pigeon pea) and masoor (lentil) are also used.[8]
Serving
The dish is usually served with sambar (split pea stew) and coconut chutney. Along with idli, it is often eaten as a breakfast. It is also eaten as a lunch starter or a snack.[9][2]
The medu vada is sometimes also served with yogurt, as a chaat snack (see dahi vada).[1]
- Medu Vadas served with coconut chutney
- Medu vada dipped in sambar
- A common South Indian breakfast: idli, medu vada, sambar and coconut chutney
- Another common breakfast: medu vada, pongal, sambar and coconut chutney
- In form of Dahi vada, with yogurt
See also
- List of deep fried foods
- List of Indian dishes
- List of doughnut varieties
- List of fried dough varieties
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Richa Hingle (2015). Vegan Richa's Indian Kitchen: Traditional and Creative Recipes for the Home Cook. Andrews McMeel. p. pt122. ISBN 9781941252109.
- 1 2 3 Meher Mirza (15 December 2015). "The Star of South India: Medu Vada in its Many Avatars". NDTV.
- ↑ Hingle, R. (2015). Vegan Richa's Indian Kitchen: Traditional and Creative Recipes for the Home Cook. Vegan Heritage Press, LLC. p. pt79. ISBN 978-1-941252-10-9.
- ↑ Alevur Sriramana Acharya (1971). Barkur Kannada. Deccan College. p. 4.
- 1 2 Vir Sanghvi (2004). Rude Food: The Collected Food Writings of Vir Sanghvi. Penguin India. pp. 110–111. ISBN 9780143031390.
- ↑ Siva Sadasivan (2015). Riding God's Axe. Leadstart. p. 21. ISBN 9789352013609.
- ↑ Alamelu Vairavan (2010). Chettinad kitchen. Westland. p. 30. ISBN 9789380283883.
- ↑ K. T. Achaya (1994). Indian Food: A Historical Companion. Oxford University Press. p. 127. ISBN 978-0-19-563448-8.
- ↑ "Recipe: Medu vada". The Times of India. 22 May 2015.
External links
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