Vada (Ulunda vadai )

I always wanted to try this recipe.  Till its tried from scratch on our own no recipe can be perfected. Most of my cooking is influenced by my mom and my mother in law. So thankfully by the grace of god I get to eat and make a variety of cuisines.

This one I tweeted according to my convenience and I myself was amazed with the results. So simple yet delicious.

Ingredients
Urad Dal – 1 cup
Green Chillies – 1 or 2, finely chopped
Ginger – a small piece, peeled and grated
Curry Leaves – few, finely chopped
Jeera - 1 tsp
Hing
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Method

1) Wash and soak the urad dal for 2hours with minimum water. Don't float too much as the dal will get too mushy

2) Drain the water completely.

3) Now add the green chillies ,ginger, hing and salt to the big mixer jar and grind without adding any water. Then add the dal and grind . Once the dal is crushed, add water little by little and grind to a smooth batter. Make sure not to add too much water as it will become difficult to shape the vadas also, the vadas will drink too much oil.
4) Transfer the batter to a bowl, now, with your hands  or a clean spoon mix the batter very well.
5) To this batter add kadipatta(curry leaves) and jeera. Mix well and keep for a while.
6) In a pan or kadai heat enough oil. First drop a small amount of batter into the oil to check the temperature . Also if it goes down and comes up immediately then the oil temperature is right.
7) To make the vadas, take a bowl of water, dip your hand in the water, take a small ball of the dough with the wet hand, pat it on a plastic sheet and make a ball, now insert you thumb finger in the middle of the ball to make a hole and gently take the vada from the plastic sheet and put it into the hot oil. 
8) Repeat the same with the remaining dough. Fry the vadas till golden, filp and cook on both sides. Do not let too much water be on your hands as this will make the batter too watery.
9) You can make two or three depending on the size of the kadai.
10) Serve hot dipped in sambar.

Notes:
a) The vada can be served with chutney and sambar as well as done in restaurants
b) Be careful while putting the vada in the oil. Here is the risk of burning your hands or the oil spilling over.
c) You can add chopped coconut pieces. This will enhance the taste.