Medu vada

Name: Medu vada
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 200g urad dal; 2 green chillies, finely chopped; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 10 curry leaves, chopped; 1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed; 1 tsp salt; 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped; 1 tsp grated fresh ginger; 500ml sunflower oil, for frying

Crisp on the outside and fluffy inside, these savoury lentil doughnuts are a classic with sambar.

Time1 hr plus soaking
LevelHard
Costabout £1.09 a head

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

4 servings

Ingredients

Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.

200 gurad dal
2green chilliesfinely chopped
1small onionfinely chopped
10curry leaveschopped
1 tspblack peppercornscrushed
1 tspsalt
2 tbspfresh corianderchopped
1 tspgrated fresh ginger
500 mlsunflower oilfor frying

Method

1
Soak the dal in cold water for 4 hours, then drain well.
240 min
2
Grind in a blender with 2 to 3 tbsp cold water until very thick, smooth and fluffy. The batter should hold its shape.
3
Mix in the chillies, onion, curry leaves, peppercorns, salt, coriander and ginger.
4
Heat the oil in a deep pan to 180C, or until a drop of batter sizzles and rises.
5
Wet your hands, take a golf ball of batter, flatten slightly and poke a hole through the middle.
6
Slide into the oil and fry 3 or 4 at a time for 4 minutes, turning, until deep golden.
4 min
7
Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with sambar or chutney.

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.