• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Vidhya’s Vegetarian Kitchen logo
  • Home
  • About
    • VVK Galleries
    • VVK YouTube Channel
    • VVK Mentions
    • Privacy & Copyright Policies
  • Recipes
  • Shop
    • Amazon Shop
    • Cookbooks
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Contact Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Snacks / Appetizers » Ulundu Vadai | Urad Dal Vada | Medhu Vadai

    Ulundu Vadai | Urad Dal Vada | Medhu Vadai

    Posted on April 25, 2016 · Last Updated on May 27, 2020 · By Srividhya G · 39 Comments

    8 shares
    • Share1
    • Tweet
    • Reddit
    Jump to Recipe Card

    Ulundu Vadai or Medhu Vadai or Urad dal Vada is a deep-fried savory recipe prepared with Urad dal / black lentils, spiced up with green chilies. These vadas are very common in the evening snack menu of many restaurants, and also, it is a favorite tiffin combo dish. Idli-vada and pongal-vada are quite popular all over Tamil Nadu.  

    UluthamVadai2

    Along with Masala vadai, you can find these delicacies too, pretty much in all the tea stalls in TN. Also, these vadas are prepared on festival days too. I usually skip onions if I am preparing it during festival days.

    Ulundu vadai is unique and interesting because of its shape. It’s the Indian savory donut with the hole in the center. Getting that perfect shape took me a couple of years. Kiddo loves this vadai and I prepare a small batch whenever I soak rice and urad dal for idli/dosa. I grind urad dal first and set aside some for vadai. When I started to prepare them initially, I never got that shape. My vadai will look like bondas.

    I slowly learned the consistency and that’s when I stumbled upon a YouTube video. I went with my own measurements but her tip of keeping the batter in the fridge for some time works like a charm. And also I learned the vadai shaping process from that video. If the batter consistency is perfect, preparing the perfect shaped vadas is also easy. I know I can still get better at shaping the vadas. Getting there slowly. 

    UlunduVadai

     

    I wanted to try a video of the vada shaping process but M who was helping me through the process got a call during that step and we couldn’t do capture a video and I was so busy shaping and frying the vadas and I couldn’t do step by step pics either. I hope I have explained the steps clearly. As I have mentioned the reasons and alternatives in the stepwise procedure, I didn’t add a separate notes section.

    UradDalVadai

    Ingredients:

    • Urad dal – 1 cup
    • Green chili – 1 (I used a big serrano chili. Adjust according to the chili and your taste preference)
    • Salt – 2 taps, or to taste
    • Chopped Onion – ¼ cup (Optional, If I am preparing for poojas I avoid these)
    • Cilantro – a handful
    • Oil for frying
    • Water – ¼ to ½ cup
    • Chopped Ginger and Peppercorns can be added. I didn’t add in this recipe.

    Preparing the Ulundu Vadai Batter:

    • Wash the urad dal and soak it for about 3 to 4 hrs.
    • Drain the water and grind it along with the green chili. As I used serrano chili, I went with one. Please adjust the number of chilies as per your taste preference.

    VadaiIngredient1

    • Grind it by just drizzling water, not more than ½ cup of water. I ground it using my wet grinder. At the maximum, you need only 8 to 10 tbsps of water.

    UluthamMaavu

    Checking the Batter Consistency:

    • Take a bowl of water or a glass of water.
    • Take a small amount from the batter and drop it the glass of water.
    • It should not spread out or dissolve and mix with water. It should maintain its shape and should float on top like below. That’s the right consistency.

    UluthamMaavuConsistency2

    Adding Other Ingredients:

    • Keep this ground batter in the fridge for half an hour.
    • Now take the batter out and add the chopped cilantro, onions, and salt. Salt should be added just before frying. Salt has the tendency of ooze out water and it will make the batter watery.

    VadaiIngredients1

    • Mix this well and let it sit till the oil gets heated.

    VadaiIngredients2

     

    Shaping the Ulundu Vadai and Frying:

    • Heat the oil required for frying in wide kadai. Once the oil is hot bring it to medium and let it stay in medium heat for a few minutes. Frying in hot oil, might brown the vadai and also inside might not be cooked well. For soft and crispier vadai, frying it in medium heat is the best.
    • While the oil is getting hot, keep the batter and wide bowl with water.

    VadaiStep

    • Wet your palm and shake off the excess water. Take a lemon sized batter and slowly toss it in your palm to make a ball.
    • Now bring this ball to the top of your palm and keep your thumb finger free. Basically the batter should be in your forefinger, middle finger, ring finger, and pinky. Now with the thumb finger make a nice big hole in the center and slowly drop in the oil.
    • After 30 seconds flip the vadai and let it cook on the other side.
    • Deep fry until it turns light golden brown and by that time the oil bubble sound will also cease.
    • Repeat this process for the remaining vadai. In one batch I fried 3 vadas.

    VadaicloserLook

    That’s it. Yummy vada is ready. I served this with chutney.  But sambar is also the best bet. :-)

    Pin Recipe Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Ulundu Vadai | Urad Dal Vada

    Ulunda Vadai or Urad dal Vada is a deep fried savory recipe prepared with Urad dal / black lentils, spiced up with green chillies.
    Prep Time4 hrs
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time4 hrs 30 mins
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: South Indian
    Servings: 10
    Calories: 93kcal
    Author: Srividhya G

    Equipment

    • Frying pan
    • Blender or wet grinder

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup Urad dal
    • 1 Green chili I used a big serrano chilli. Adjust according to the chilli and your taste preference
    • 2 tsps Salt
    • ¼ cup Onion chopped
    • 2 tbsps Cilantro a handful
    • 1.5 cups Oil as needed for frying
    • ¼ to ½ cup water

    Instructions

    Preparing the Batter

    • Wash the urad dal and soak it for about 3 to 4 hrs.
    • Drain the water and grind it along with the green chilli. As I used serrano chilli, I went with one. Please adjust the number of chillies as per your taste preference.
    • Grind it by just drizzling water, not more than ½ cup of water. I grinded it using my wet grinder.

    Checking the Batter Consistency

    • Take a bowl of water or glass of water.
    • Take a small amount from the batter and drop it the glass of water.
    • It should not spread out or dissolve and mix with water. It should maintain its shape and should float on top like below. That’s the right consistency.

    Adding Other Ingredients

    • Keep this ground batter in the fridge for half an hour.
    • Now take the batter out and add the chopped cilantro, onions and salt. Salt should be added just before frying. Salt has the tendency of ooze out water and it will make the batter watery.
    • Mix this well and let it sit till the oil gets heated.

    Shaping the Vadai and Frying

    • Heat the oil required for frying in wide kadai. Once the oil is hot bring it to medium and let it stay in medium heat for few minutes. Frying in hot oil, might brown the vadai and also inside might not be cooked well. For soft and crispier vadai, frying it in medium heat is the best.
    • While the oil is getting hot, keep the batter and wide bowl with water.
    • Wet your palm and shake off the excess water. Take a lemon sized batter and slowly toss it in your palm to make a ball.
    • Now bring this ball to the top of your palm and keep your thumb finger free. Basically the batter should be in your forefinger, middle finger, ring finger and pinky. Now with the thumb finger make a nice big hole in the center and slowly drop in the oil.
    • After 30 seconds flip the vadai and let it cook on the other side.
    • Deep fry until it turns light golden brown and by that time the oil bubble sound will also cease.
    • Repeat this process for the remaining vadai. In one batch I fried 3 vadas.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 93kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 482mg | Potassium: 6mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 2mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @vidhyasvegetariankitchen or tag #vidhyasvegkitchen
    For Video RecipesCheck out My YouTube Channel
    BM#63  A-ZChallengeBadge
    Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 63

    [inlinkz_linkup id=601075 mode=1]

    8 shares
    • Share1
    • Tweet
    • Reddit

    Filed Under: Blogging Marathon, Breakfast / Tiffins, Snacks / Appetizers Tagged With: A-Z Challenge, Blogging Marathon, Cuisine of Tamil Nadu, how to prepare uludu vadai, medu vadai recipe, soft and crispy medu vadai, ulutham parupuu vadai

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. slani recepti says

      September 06, 2016 at 4:42 am

      Very interesting recipe, looks good.I love fried dough.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        September 06, 2016 at 1:23 pm

        Thanks

        Reply
    2. Smruti | Herbivore Cucina says

      May 04, 2016 at 4:11 pm

      Same pinch!! I did the same recipe for U. Yours look so nice and crispy. Loved the step by step pictures :)

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        May 04, 2016 at 5:44 pm

        yup saw that. :-) Thanks a lot Smruti.

        Reply
    3. sapana behl says

      May 04, 2016 at 3:21 pm

      Urad dal vadai looks perfect.How I wish to taste them now.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        May 04, 2016 at 5:46 pm

        Thanks a lot Sapana. Let me parcel some for you. ;-)

        Reply
    4. Pavani says

      May 03, 2016 at 1:33 pm

      Perfectly made vada Vidhya. They look so crispy on the outside, soft & fluffy inside — yummy!!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        May 04, 2016 at 9:52 am

        Thanks a lot Pavani.

        Reply
    5. Amara says

      April 29, 2016 at 1:25 am

      Very inviting vadas Srividhya, they came out perfect:)

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 29, 2016 at 7:46 am

        Thanks amara.

        Reply
    6. CHCooks says

      April 27, 2016 at 1:11 am

      Super awesome Sri.. especially loved the tip about the batter :)

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 27, 2016 at 8:07 am

        Thanks a lot :-)

        Reply
    7. harini says

      April 26, 2016 at 7:25 pm

      Very inviting plate of crispy vadas.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 27, 2016 at 8:09 am

        Thanks Harini.

        Reply
    8. Priya Suresh says

      April 26, 2016 at 10:34 am

      Omg, you are torturing me with those crispy vadais, am trying to keep myself away from frying. Very tempting vadais.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 26, 2016 at 1:27 pm

        Thanks a lot I tried too to keep myself away from frying. But couldnt help it. This is my second fried recipe for this BM and one more coming ;-)

        Reply
    9. Gayathri Kumar says

      April 26, 2016 at 4:22 am

      You have made them perfect Vidhya. One of our fav snack recipes..

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 26, 2016 at 1:18 pm

        Thanks a lot Gayathri.

        Reply
    10. Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says

      April 26, 2016 at 3:28 am

      These vadas look so nice and crispy. Your tips are helpful. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 26, 2016 at 1:18 pm

        Thanks Anu.

        Reply
    11. jhumuhere says

      April 25, 2016 at 10:58 pm

      Our family favourite…looks crispy …visit my page too

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 25, 2016 at 11:02 pm

        Thanks a lot. Sure. Let me know yours. I am not seeing yours in the comment list.

        Reply
    12. Vaishali Sabnani says

      April 25, 2016 at 5:15 pm

      Ah these are a hot favorite of the family, hot vadas with rasam..simply amazing.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 25, 2016 at 9:37 pm

        :-) Thanks Vaishali. Rasa vada is an awesome combo.

        Reply
    13. Freda @ Aromatic essence says

      April 25, 2016 at 4:15 pm

      Looks scrumptious!

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 25, 2016 at 9:34 pm

        Thanks Freda.

        Reply
    14. usha says

      April 25, 2016 at 10:21 am

      Even I do that batter consistency test. Vada come out really good you follow that tip.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 25, 2016 at 9:33 pm

        :-) Thanks.

        Reply
    15. bhumi says

      April 25, 2016 at 8:53 am

      Its lovely vidhya…I have tried so many times for shaping vadas…but it never came out to be this perfect..

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 25, 2016 at 9:23 pm

        Thanks a lot Bhumi. It was very difficult in the beginning. I used to get bondas only. ;-) Slowly got the shape. Keep trying.

        Reply
    16. Suma Gandlur says

      April 25, 2016 at 8:02 am

      That platter of vada and chutney are inviting. Yummy and love these Vadis with a crispy exterior.

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 25, 2016 at 9:22 pm

        Thanks Suma.

        Reply
    17. Srivalli says

      April 25, 2016 at 7:58 am

      I love this vada…and very nice tips..useful for others..

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 25, 2016 at 9:18 pm

        Thanks a lot Srivalli.

        Reply
    18. Priya Suresh says

      April 25, 2016 at 7:28 am

      Super like, my all time favourite crispy vadais, can have it anytime anyday..Love it to the core.

      Reply
    19. Alok Singhal says

      April 25, 2016 at 7:19 am

      Another favorite of mine, apart from Idli and Masala Dosa :)

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        April 25, 2016 at 9:16 pm

        :-) Thanks and I love these vadais too.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome

    Author Vidhya smiling in the renovated kitchen

    Hello all, I am Srividhya, the person behind this blog. I firmly believe that the mouth is the way to the heart. My blog is all about vegetarian and vegan food with unique and exciting recipes from all over the world. From traditional, authentic recipes to fusion and eggless bakes, you can find it all here! Read more →

    Enjoy My Cookbooks

    Two cookbooks beautifully presented on the table

    Discover the diverse and delicious taste of South India, eggless recipes made in Instant Pot and other deliciousness! Find out more →

    Sign Up to Newsletter

    Must-Try Pumpkin Recipes 

    • Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte
    • Harry Potter Pumpkin Juice | Easy Pumpkin Juice
    • Pumpkin Spice Cookies | Vegan and Gluten-Free
    • Milk Powder Pumpkin Burfi | Easy Milk Powder Burfi Recipe

    As Featured On

    As seen on logo banner

    YouTube

    Follow me on YouTube for regular recipe videos and insights from my kitchen!

    Follow

    Disclosure

    VVK is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program - an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate VVK earns from qualifying purchases. Privacy Policy →

    Most Popular Posts

    • Snake Gourd Curry | Chichinda Sabji
    • Weekly Vegetarian Meal Planning Chart
    • Orange Peel Kuzhambu | Gojju
    • Carrot Halwa | Gajar Ka Halwa
    • Instant Pot Kalkandu Sadam | Kalkandu Pongal
    • Til laddu | Ellu Urundai | Sesame laddu

    Explore Your Favorites

    15 + Mango Recipes

    25 + Easy South Indian Instant Pot Recipes

    10 + Must Try Vegetarian Pasta Recipes

    20 + Kids Friendly Lunch Box Recipes

    20 + Indian Lentils Recipes Made in Instant Pot

    Footer


    VVK is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program - Privacy Policy
    HOME | ABOUT | CONTACT US

    Footer

    ↑ Back to Top

    VVK horizontal logo

    About

    • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

    Cooking

    • Sign Up to Newsletter
    • All Recipes
    • My Cookbooks
    • My Amazon Shop

    VVK is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program

    Copyright © 2023 | VidhyasHomeCooking.com