Medhu Vadai

Light, crispy doughnuts of urad dal batter — soaked lentils ground with green chillies, ginger, and curry leaves, shaped into rings and deep-fried until golden, with a crackling exterior and a pillowy centre. The essential breakfast companion to idli and sambar across Tamil Nadu; medhu vadai soaked in sambar (sambar vadai) transforms into an entirely different and addictive texture.