Medu vada

Medu vada (pronounced [meːd̪ʊ vəɽaː]; lit. 'soft vada') is a South Indian fritter made from Vigna mungo (black lentil or urad dal). It is usually made in a doughnut shape, with a crispy exterior and soft interior.[1] A popular food item in South Indian[2] and Sri Lankan Tamil cuisines, it is generally eaten as a breakfast or a snack.[1][3]

Medu vada
Alternative namesUddina vade, Medhu vada, Uddi vada, Minapa garelu, Uzhunnu vada, Udid Vada, Ulundu vadai, Urad vada, Ulundu wade, Urdi bara, Batuk
TypeFritter
CourseBreakfast
Place of originIndia, Sri Lanka
Region or stateSouth India
Serving temperatureWarm (with sambar and coconut chutney) or room temperature (with yogurt)
Main ingredientsUrad dal (Split Black gram), Rice
Similar dishesOther vadas, mat pe kyaw

Etymology

"Medu" is the Kannada and Tamil 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 uddina vade (Kannada), urad vada, medhu vadai, ulundu vadai (Tamil), garelu (Telugu), batuk (Nepali),[6] and uzhunnu vada (Malayalam).[7][8]

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
Medu vada being fried in oil

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.[9]

Serving
A similar dish known as mat pe kyaw is a common Burmese fritter, typically served in a tamarind-based dipping sauce.

The dish is usually served with sambar (lentil and vegetable 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.[2][10]

The medu vada is sometimes also served with yogurt, as a chaat snack (see dahi vada).[1]

In Western Nepal, commonly known as batuk or bara, it is considered to be a traditional food of the Magar people. Batuk is never missed out on any festival or family gathering, and is best served alongside pork and kodo-ko-raksi (local alcohol made from millet).[11]

  • Medu vadas served with coconut chutney
  • Batuk served with chukauni in a fast food station in Kathmandu
  • fried Medu vada with chutney
  • A common South Indian breakfast: idli, medu vada, sambar and coconut chutney
  • Batuk served with tomato chutney, chukauni, and red wine in Palpa
  • Another common breakfast: medu vada, pongal, sambar and coconut chutney
  • In form of dahi vada, with yogurt

See also

References
  1. Richa Hingle (2015). Vegan Richa's Indian Kitchen: Traditional and Creative Recipes for the Home Cook. Andrews McMeel. p. pt122. ISBN 9781941252109.
  2. Meher Mirza (15 December 2015). "The Star of South India: Medu Vada in its Many Avatars". NDTV.
  3. 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.
  4. Alevur Sriramana Acharya (1971). Barkur Kannada. Deccan College. p. 4.
  5. Vir Sanghvi (2004). Rude Food: The Collected Food Writings of Vir Sanghvi. Penguin India. pp. 110–111. ISBN 9780143031390.
  6. https://www.thegundruk.com/batuk-roti-made-from-black-lentils/
  7. Siva Sadasivan (2015). Riding God's Axe. Leadstart. p. 21. ISBN 9789352013609.
  8. Alamelu Vairavan (2010). Chettinad kitchen. Westland. p. 30. ISBN 9789380283883.
  9. K. T. Achaya (1994). Indian Food: A Historical Companion. Oxford University Press. p. 127. ISBN 978-0-19-563448-8.
  10. "Recipe: Medu vada". The Times of India. 22 May 2015.
  11. "BATUK A MAGAR DELICACY".
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