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Medu vadai is a perfect starter or accompaniment for kapi or tea, writes Pushpesh Pant THERE is something about medu vadai that makes it the heartthrob of the ‘snack nation’. We are not talking of the cold, soggy and stale stuff that is purveyed on the street side in the North but the real McCoy, south of the Vindhyas. It is golden hued and crisp on the outside, nursing a tender — soft airy — heart. It is extremely satisfying — what fired delight is not — and a couple goes a long way towards quelling pangs of hunger. The flavour is provided by itsy-bitsy ginger and green chilies. There is just a hint of hing and it makes a perfect starter or accompaniment for kapi or tea. It is usually served with coconut chutney, tempered with mustard and curry leaves, but quite often other interesting chutneys made with tomatoes or coriander also chip in their bit. A steaming bowl of sambar or rasam can transport a medu vada into a different sublime realm. Soaked in dahi — slightly sweet and garnished with bundi, the tair vada has its advocates but for us the no-frills medu is the most beloved. To tell you the truth, at times, we have under peer pressure ordered a combo — idli vada platter for breakfast. But missing the full fix have almost always been constrained to ask for a supplement of a single medu vada. Kalmi bada, kanji bada and bhalle have great appeal of their own but what can’t be denied is that thanks to the exertion of Udupi-style hotels, medu vada has acquired pan-Indian popularity. We feel time has come when this friend should be invited home and rescued — at least in the north India from indifferent professional cooks. The recipe is disarmingly simple but care needs to be shown in execution. Like a well-made plate of pakora, the platter of medu vadai, too, should be light and dry — not greasy at all and not require the support of chutney. It is the two-in-one texture and suggestion of flavours you should aspire for.
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Ingredients