Perugu Vada (Curd Vada)

Print Recipe

Indulge in a delicious South Indian classic Perugu Vada! Lentil fritters soaked in creamy seasoned yogurt.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: vadas

Calories: 105kcal

Author: Geetha

Equipment

1 Heavy Bottom Steel Pan
1 Slotted Spoon
1 Mixing Bowl
1 Mixer Grinder
1 Small frying pan
1 Spoon
1 Big Bowl
1 Blender/Whisk

Ingredients

1 Cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml

To make vadas

1.5 Cups Urad Dal
5-6 Tablespoons Water
Oil to deep fry
Salt as required

For seasoned yogurt

1 Teaspoon Oil
½ Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
½ Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
a pinch Asafoetida
3 small Dried Red Chillies
½ inch Fresh Ginger washed, peeled and grated
1 Green Chilli washed and finely chopped
a pinch Turmeric
Salt as required
10- 12 sprigs (or) half bunch Fresh Coriander Leaves washed and finely chopped
2 Cups Full fat plain yogurt
¾ Cup Water adjust to get desired consistency

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Wash the urad dal thoroughly and soak it in water for about 4-6 hours.
1.5 Cups Urad Dal
Drain the soaked dal and put it in a mixer jar. Grind it into a thick and fluffy batter with very little water. While grinding, add 2 tablespoons of water at a time.
5-6 Tablespoons Water
Add salt and mix batter well, and whip it with your hands for two to three minutes in the same direction to incorporate air.
Salt
Now place yogurt in a bowl, add water and whisk until it is smooth and lumpfree.
2 Cups Full fat plain yogurt, ¾ Cup Water
In a small pan, heat the oil over medium heat.
1 Teaspoon Oil
Once oil is hot, add mustard and cumin. Stir well and let them crackle.
½ Teaspoon Mustard Seeds, ½ Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
Now add red chillies followed by grated ginger, chopped green chillies and asafoetida.
3 small Dried Red Chillies, ½ inch Fresh Ginger, 1 Green Chilli, a pinch Asafoetida
Cook it for a minute and then add turmeric powder.
a pinch Turmeric
Switch the heat off and add the seasoning to the whisked yogurt.
Add the salt and coriander leaves now, and stir everything together thoroughly until the yogurt is well combined with seasoning.
Salt, 10- 12 sprigs (or) half bunch Fresh Coriander Leaves
Set it aside to use later.
In a deep pan or kadai, heat the oil over medium heat.
Oil
Wet your hand with water placed in a bowl.
Take a small portion of the batter and place it on your fingers. Using your thumb, flatten it slightly to form a round disc, then make a hole in the centre (similar to donut).
Carefully slide the vada from your fingers into the hot oil.
Repeat the process of shaping vadas and slide them in oil. Fry them in batches and avoid overcrowding the pan.
Fry until both sides are golden brown. To ensure that both sides brown evenly, carefully flip them a couple of times with a slotted spoon.
When the vadas are crisp and golden brown, take them out of the pan and set aside in a plate.
Shape and fry the vadas in batches using the same method.
After removing a batch of vadas, put them in a bowl of luke warm water.
Soak vadas in water for only a minute and gently transfer them from the water bowl to the seasoned yogurt bowl using a tong. Ensure to handle gently and not break the vadas.

Notes

Grinding Batter: To make a thick and fluffy batter, grind the soaked urad dal using very little water. If you add too much water, the batter gets runny and becomes difficult to shape into vadas. Add water gradually and 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time while grinding the batter.

Consistency of Batter: The batter for medu vadas should be airy, light, and smooth. To test the consistency, drop a small amount of batter into a bowl of water and it should float.

Shaping Vadas: before shaping each vada wet your hands by dipping in a bowl of water. Wetting your hands with water prevents the batter from sticking to your hands and helps shape medu vada smooth and round.

Oil Temperature: Maintain a consistent oil temperature. The oil should be hot but not smoking. If the oil is too hot, the vadas may turn brown on the outside but stay uncooked on the inside. If the oil is not hot enough, the vadas tend to absorb excessive amounts of oil.

Yogurt: Use fresh, thick yogurt. Whisk the yogurt until smooth and lumpfree.

Chilling: Before serving, let the assembled curd vadas sit in the fridge for at least an hour. The flavours are enhanced and the vadas are better able to absorb the yogurt mixture when they are chilled.

Nutrition