Ingredients:

• 1 litre Curd
• 1 cup black gram (Urad) dal
• 2 tbsps grated Coconut
• 2 to 3 Green chillies
• 2 cm Ginger
• 2 tsps oil
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• Few Curry leaves
• 2 tbsps coriander leaves, finely chopped
• Khara boondi to garnish
• salt to taste
• Oil to fry

Method:

1. Soak the dal in water for 2 hours. Drain and grind with salt to a fluffy batter, using just a sprinkling of water.
2. Heat oil for deep frying till it is moderately hot.
3. Take a piece of plastic sheet and grease it lightly with oil.
4. Place about 3 tbsps of the vadai mixture on it.
5. Flatten to a disc, about 1.5 cm thick.
6. Make a depression in the center with your forefinger.
7. Transfer it carefully into the oil.
8. Shape 3 or 4 more vadas and drop them into the oil.
9. Fry on moderate heat till the vadas are cooked and golden brown.
10. Well-made medu vadas are soft and spongy with a thin crisp skin.
11. Take 1 cup of curd and beat it till it turns smooth. Add 2 – 2.5 cups of water and salt. Mix well.
12. Grind coconut with chillies and ginger and add. Also add the coriander leaves.
13. Heat the oil in a small fry pan. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add curry leaves and add to the curd mixture.
14. Add the hot medu vadas to this thin curd mixture. Let it soak for at least 30 mins.
15. Beat the remaining curd till smooth. Add salt to taste.
16. To serve, top the soaked vadas with the curd and garnish with boondi.

Recipe courtesy of Chandra Bhatt