Medhu Vadai ~ Garelu

Idli, Vada & Dosai is the famous trio in South India. Each one of them complement each other very well. From the trio is the Vadai or Garelu(in Andhra) which is savory donut, made out of lentils. It is seasoned with green chillies, ginger and salt, fried and served with chutney or sambar. It can be dipped and soaked in hot sambar and can be eaten as sambar vada, or it can be soaked in yogurt(dahi) for dahi vada. Either way you eat, it tastes great.

Making Medhu vadai, was a quite a experience for me. It is a skill which took me a while excel. I used to make mistakes everytime I made them. I used to add lot of water, which made the dough, loose and I could never make the holes in the center. All my vadais turned out to be bondas. Else, it turned out to be hard, too hard to even bite. Well, " practice makes one perfect ". That came out true for me in this case. Now, my medhu vadais not only looks great, it is softer to chew and crunchy on the outside and melts in my mouth.. If you are new and trying this for the first time, please don't get put off, if it doesn't turn out perfect. Keep trying you'll get it.


Ingredients:

(Makes around 20 vadais)

2 cups - Urad dal ( black gram dal, mina pappu)
2 tbsps - Rice
8 - Green Chillies
1 1/2" (inch) - Ginger
1 tbsp - Black pepper ( ground coarsely), optional
Few curry leaves, torn into smaller bits
Salt as required
Plantain leaf or ziploc(plastic sheet) for making vada
Oil, for deep frying


Method:

Wash well and soak urad dal and rice for 3-4 hrs. Drain the water completely. Add the rest of the ingredients, except curry leaves and oil. Grind in small batches, by sprinkling very little water. It is the key. Use water, just enough to run the motor blades of the food-processor effectively, without creating any 'jam-session'. Grind into smooth paste. Add curry leaves to the dough.

Heat oil, on a medium heat, in a kadai or a deep pan. Oil should be atleast 1" deep.

Take a bowl of water to begin making vadais. Place the plastic sheet or plantain leaf on the counter-top. Wipe the sheet/leaf with water. Take about half handful(about 1/5th cup) of dough on the sheet/leaf. Dampen your fingers with water and flatten the dough gently, making a circle, put a hole in the center with your finger. Gently, transfer the dough into oil and deep fry till it is golden.

Do not turn the heat to high, as the inside of the vadai may not cook properly.

Don't loose heart if you are unable to make dough into donuts, drop it in any shape. Take the dough by a spoon and drop it into oil. It tastes the same no matter how it is shaped. Remember, keep practicing.

Serve Medhu Vadais as a snack or as an appetizer with chutney or sambar.




This Vadais is on their way to the My Legume Love Affair- Seventh Helping, hosted this month by Srivalli of Cooking 4 all seasons and initiated by Susan of The well seasoned cook. There are 5 more days left to send your entries. So, Giddy Up Rodeo !


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