Thayir Vadai
Urad dal fritters soaked in seasoned yogurt — freshly made medhu vadai (urad dal fritters, soft inside) soaked in warm water for two minutes to remove excess oil, squeezed gently, placed in a shallow bowl, and covered with thick, freshly set yogurt beaten smooth with salt, a pinch of sugar, and a small amount of tamarind water. The yogurt is poured generously until the vadai is submerged; decorated with a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves, a sprinkle of red chilli powder, and fresh coriander. The vadai must be soft-centred — only a properly made fluffy medhu vadai produces the right spongy, yogurt-saturated interior. The most popular Tamil festive-meal dessert-adjacent item; served as the penultimate course of a wedding feast just before payasam.
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Recipe
Ingredients
| 1 cup | urad dal |
| 1 cup | thick yogurt |
| 1 cup | water |
| 1 teaspoon | salt |
| 1 teaspoon | cumin seeds |
| 1 teaspoon | black peppercorns |
| 1 tablespoon | finely chopped ginger |
| 2 tablespoons | finely chopped coriander leaves |
| 2 tablespoons | finely chopped curry leaves |
| 1 cup | oil for deep frying |
| 1 teaspoon | mustard seeds |
| 1 teaspoon | urad dal for tempering |
| 1 pinch | asafoetida |
| 1 tablespoon | grated coconut |
| 1 teaspoon | chopped green chilies |
| 1 cup | water for soaking vadai |
Instructions
- 1 Wash and soak the urad dal in water for 4 hours.
- 2 Drain the water and grind the urad dal to a smooth batter without adding much water.
- 3 Add salt, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, chopped ginger, coriander leaves, and curry leaves to the batter and mix well.
- 4 Heat oil in a deep frying pan.
- 5 Wet your hands, take a small portion of the batter, shape it into a ball, flatten it slightly, and make a hole in the center.
- 6 Carefully slide the shaped batter into the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crispy.
- 7 Remove the vadai and place them on paper towels to drain excess oil.
- 8 In a bowl, mix yogurt with a cup of water and a pinch of salt to make a smooth mixture.
- 9 Soak the fried vadai in warm water for 5 minutes, then gently squeeze out the water.
- 10 Place the soaked vadai in the prepared yogurt mixture.
- 11 For tempering, heat a teaspoon of oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds, urad dal, asafoetida, and green chilies, and sauté until the mustard seeds splutter.
- 12 Pour the tempering over the yogurt-soaked vadai.
- 13 Garnish with grated coconut and serve chilled.
Tips
Ensure the batter is thick and fluffy for soft vadai. Adjust the consistency of the yogurt mixture to your preference.