Tingle-UR-Tastebuds

Methu Vadai or Ulunthu Vadai is a superb breakfast recipe. Making this needs little skill. When you have been trained in making them perfect in shape then it will pop more often in your kitchen. Yes Whenever this vadai is done and served along with the onion & tomato chutney the guests go Gha Gha. I learnt to make it properly only after my marriage. This used to be done when there are guests at home or during festivals like Deepavali. It always is craved by all.

Hope you all will try and let me know how much you liked it.

Cuisine: Indian(South) | Category: Side Dishes for Idly/Dosa/Chutney | Soak time: 1/2 hr. to 1 hr. |Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 20 to 30 mins | Makes: 20 to 25 

Ingredients

• Urad dal(whole)/Uluntham Paruppu – 1 cup
• Onion – 1 medium sized (finely chopped)
• Green chili – 2 (cut into two)
• Curry Leaves – 2 tbsp. (Chopped finely)
• Coriander Leaves –  2 tbsp.(Chopped finely)
• Salt as needed

To Make the Methu/Ulunthu Vadai

• Oil – For deep frying
• A square polythene sheet – cut from thick plastic bags into the shape of your palm.

METHOD

• Take the Urad Dal/Ulutham Paruppu in a vessel and wash them twice.
• Soak it in cold water for atleast half an hour. I soaked it for one hour.
• Chop the green chilies and on the grinder.
• First add the green chilies and allow them to get crushed.
• Now add the soaked urad dal/ulunthu into the running grinder.
• Grind it to a smooth batter by sprinkling little by little water when required.
• Meanwhile chop onion, curry leaves and coriander leaves very finely.
• Add salt to the batter in the end. After it gets mixed well switch off the grinder.
• Time to transfer the batter to a vessel.
• After that pour a glass of water to the grinder and wash it. Take the water in a small bowl.
• Add the chopped onion, curry leaves and coriander leaves and mix everything well.
• Heat enough oil in a kadai for deep frying the vada’s.
• Cut a plastic bag into a square shape that is of the size of your palm.
• Rub the sheet with the water.
• Now dip your right hand in the water and take a small ball of batter in your hand.
• Place the sheet in your left hand palm. Put the ball of batter on the sheet and flatten it into the shape of a round vada.
• Again dip your forefinger into the water and make a hole in the center.
• Wet your right hand again and transfer the flattened vada and drop it into the hot oil.
• Drop three or four vada’s one after the other and flip over them to cook evenly.
• Remove them from oil whne golden brown.
• Repeat until the batter gets over.
• All the medhu/ulunthu vada’s are ready to be served.
• I served them with onion and tomato chutney.

Note : Use whole urad dal for making these vadai.

While grinding the batter don’t add lot of water in the beginning itself. Add water little by little.

Adding more water to the batter will make it runny and it will become difficult to make the vada’s. The vada’s also will absorb more oil and it will become soggy.

If the batter becomes little bit runny it can be repaired by adding rice flour to the batter.

The purpose of touching the water makes it non sticky to the hand or the sheet. You can just use the plain water instead of using the washed water.

If making the batter in advance do not add chopped onion. Add the onion just before making the vada’s otherwise it will making the batter runny.

Visual clicks

Enjoy the Methu Vadai/Ulunthu Vadai hot with your favourite chutney. Try and let me know if you liked it.