Vada or bonda?

We celebrated Karthigai Deepam yesterday! Not many beyond of Tamil Nadu knows about this Festival of light including my better half! Clay lamps filled with oil are lit and placed outside of the house like Diwali in North. Some of Diwali firecrackers are burst on this day.
The next day, we call it "Nattu karthigai" which is today, all non-veg items are cooked, I am not sure if it is observed in every home! We commemorate the loved one who passed away on this day!

Tamilian festivals will go incomplete without this savoury doughnut "medu (soft) vada(i)"! Soaked lentils ground into a smooth buttery consistency. Shaped into round disc with a perfect hole in middle and deep fried for giving a golden crisp look! That doesn't sound too difficult right! Ok, don't be fooled, the real success lie behind the dough ! If you have helped the struggling blender/grinder too run smoothly with water, you end up with a loose dough and shapeless vadas!

Shaping the vadas with hole or without doesn't bring any difference taste wise. But when the same dough is dropped into ball shape is called Bonda in Tamil Nadu.

Urad dhal vadas soaking in sambar!

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Important Rule:

Grind with minimum water- always sprinkle water NOT POURING!

Never add the salt until you are ready to deep fry.

Adding the salt before - the dough will turn loose.

If you are uncomfortable shaping or trying for first time: never add onion!

Grinder: will give a best result for vadas!

While dropping the vadas in oil, don't have wet hand! Oil will splatter! Quiet dangerous- use caution.

To troubleshoot the vada dough:

1. If the dough is loose: add a cooked/mashed potato or little rice flour.
2.If the vadas are hard try a pinch of baking soda - but the soda will soak lots of oil!

Ingredients:

Urad dhal (dehusked): 1 cup

Flavors:

Ginger: 1 tsp minced

Green chillies: 4 minced finely

Cilantro: few leaves minced (optionnal)

Red onion: 1 small minced finely (not recommended for everyone)

Soak the dhal not more than 30 min. Rinse 3 times the dhal, drain in colander.

Now grind into smooth dough with a minimum water please!  After 30 min, you might get a smooth buttery dough. At this point, you can refrigerate the dough up to 3 days without any seasonning!

Now the dough can be flavored, with ginger and green chillies. Add the salt when you are ready to deep fry.

To shape the vadas:

Need a piece of banana leave or a Ziploc bag and a dinner plate.

To deep fry:

Enough oil to deep fry

Turn a dinner plate, place the ziplock bag.

Take a "Ping pong ball" size dough. Place over the ziplock sheet. Slightly pat the ball with wet fingers to make into round shape with your index finger make a hole in middle of the round.

Vada shaped before frying!

When the oil is hot- keep in medium heat. Take the shaped dough (vadas), flip into your right hand fingers and drop immediately in hot oil. Don't over crowd the deep fryer or oil pan!

After shaping the vadas, whip clean the ziplock sheet and proceed the same with the rest of the dough!

So do you make vadas or bondas?

Sending to Srivalli who is hosting My Legume Love Affairs: 18 helping - event originated by Susan