VADA – PAST TO PRESENT

Let us bring up the indispensable batter savoury fritters from South Indian gourmet table. Vada would serve as snacks, would be the side dish for South Indian meals and more suitable to palate for best South Indian breakfast along with dosa, Idli or Pongal. Vada holds star position in the menu cards and it is a profitable and customary item in South Indian restaurant. This South Indian favourite could be found as street food in South Indian localities in various countries.

Vada is known for its antiquity. Ancient literature says that the deep fried products got familiarized and popularized in 15th century, during the vijayanagar dynasty. So we belive that vada might have originated in 15th century. Over a period of time, vada got various ingredients and by its methods of cooking. The best example is the two centuries old paniyaram.

Readers of my blog may know best options to prepare delectable vadas. Anyhow, I am just reminding you the possibilities of preparing mouthwatering vadas at your homes.


Instructions


Whatever recipes you follow, grinding is a very important matter in vada preparation. If the grinding is proper, no need for any other substitution


Soak the urad dal (lentils) for about 20 - 30 minutes
Too much soaking of urad dal (lentils) in water would made the vada batter more elastic and sticky and also absorbs more oil while deep frying
Add minimum 50g of rice flour to a kg of medu vada batter. A tbsp of maida (refined flour) renders good golden colour
Maintain balanced heat or oil, too much heat may harden and destroy the colour of vada
Add water as needed while grinding the batter of medu vada. Grind till the batter become white and soft
It is better to add ginger paste in medu vada batter rather than chopped ginger
For paruppu vada, add 50kg of tuvar dal and urad dal along with a kg of bengal gram
Keep a little bengal gram from grinding. Add the same in the grinded mixture later to give a crunchy taste
Serve thick chutnies and sambhar, not a watery one
KEERAI VADA (Spinach Vada)
Ingredients
Bengal gram flour - a handful
Rice flour - a handful
Cornflour - a handful
Soda bi carbonate - a pinch
Salt to taste
Spinach Varieties - Minimum 03 varieties - 100g
Coriander leaves - a handful
Chopped Onion - 2 nos
Saunf- 1/2 tsp
Ginger & Garlic -1 tsp
Chopped greenchillies - 1 tbsp
Water
Method
Combine all the above ingredients. Sprinkle little water and mix well.
Make patties and deep fry it in moderate hot oil till it gets slight golden colour. Take out from oil now.
Reserve it for next 10 minutes. Deep fry the reserved vada again till it cook and renders good golden colour.
!!!!!!! Above instructions fetch you new ideas and regional recipe must be a new taste for your buds. You shall have in these rainy days. Enjoy the drizzle with puffy hot vadas.

Murukku – A Sentimental Snack …..

Murukku is a common snack preferred by all ages in all seasons and it being as a gifted bite in South India. Murukku adorned all festive seasons in Tamilnadu and it is a sentimental savoury of here. Some use their hands to prepare the Murukku, which one called Suthu (twisted) Murukku. (Twist the dough around the pebble). Murukkus are available in many varieties and name...... manapparai murukku, achu murukku, kaara murukku and more…

The mixing of ingredients is one of the prime factors in all cooking, Use 500g raw rice flour to 100g urad dal, recent day’s good quality readymade Murukku flours are available in different brand names.

You would know the preparation of this unique savoury but I just reveal you my experienced instructions to prepare the tastiest Murukku.

Instructions

A tsp of soda bi carbonate gives natural taste, colour and flavour to the Murukku. As more, the soda and fresh oil together incorporates new taste to it.

In one word crispiness alone makes the murukku tastier, to get crisp form add little dalda (vanaspati) into the dough mixture, assure you for the better texture and crispiness. Adding the correct quantity of urad dal also gives the crispiness. Crispiness longer the shelf life.

Fry the murukku in well heated oil as much possible use the fresh oil. you include masalas (redchilli powder) and colour for the spicy murukku.

Drain the murukku well and store it in air tight container

Just try my quantity

Branded murukku flour – 500g
Urad dal – 100g
Vanaspati – 50g
Jeera seeds – 1/2 tsp
Black sesame seeds – a little
Saunf – a little
Basil – a little
Salt – as required and water

Use the above basic murukku quantity to prepare the variety of murukku at your home. (karukku murukku) Hearing the biting sound … continue… hey because of karukku murukku noise it so called murukku.... ????? ssssssss hhaha...

Happy eating and cooking…

Making of Best Crispy Vadas

Vadai – that name is very common, familiar one in the far and wide of Tamilnadu. It’s a custom of accommodate the houses on all the auspicious days.

Venpongal, sambhar, chutnies and Vadai are the god blessing breakfast in Tamilnadu, the best breakfast not end up with the vadai here. Go anywhere on the Tamilnadu roadside, your eyes never missed this nicely stacked Vadais in the tea stall.

Tea and Vadai are the good friends in combination. Throughout the India, one can taste vadai in different taste, texture also that prepare with different ingredients.

Paruppu Vadai called Aamma Vadai, Urundai Vadai and mouthwatering, melting Ulunthuvadai called Methu vadai. Different recipes, tips are airing for the making of vadai; I am very splendid to give my following best simple ideas of making a secret of best vadas,

Soaking time of dal shouldn’t go above 20minutes at any cost. If you soak it for long time, the vadai will not raise. Sprinkle little water at the time of grinding the mixture for Methuvada, the consistency should be like halwa, wouldn’t stick it in your hand and very soft.

You got the medu vada mixture in right consistency, there is no need of adding soda salt and Rice flour and if you like you can add little rice flour for crispiness. Don’t add water while grinding for paruppu vadai, it ooze out the water at the time of grinding how much it absorbed during the time of soaking. You can grind it little coarsely. This mixture is lack of consistency you can add little Bengal gram to correct the stability.

Keep away little quantity of Bengal gram dal after soak it out, add that later to the grinded mixture, it gives better texture and taste to the Aamaa Vadai. To make Urundai vadai use the same tips as like paruppu vadai, but no need to keep the Bengal gram, especially you can grind the mixture finely for this preparation. Give much attention on the temperature of the hot oil.

Asafoetida, Greenchillies, Coriander leaves, Curryleaves, Jeera, Bellari Onion, Peppercorns, Saunf are the common ingredients using for each vadais, that adds nourishing and special taste.

I am guarantee that’s the best and shortest tips for making a great vadai, follow that go ahead with your new tasty vadai attempt.

“Hats off for the South Indian vadas…..” anyone heard about the Sutta vadai, its available in our resto…..