Vadai/Lentil Doughnut

1. About the dish

Vadai/Lentil Doughnut is traditional and authentic dish in Tamil Nadu (southern India). Vadai is a crispy doughnut shaped snack and often prepared recipe and offered to god on special occasion. As making vadai as doughnut shape, and making the outer layer crisp needs more practices and adding required water at the right moment.

2. Preparation time

It requires around an two hour to soak the urid dhal.

3. Cooking time

It takes around 15 to 20 minutes to cook the batch.

4. Ingredient

To soak

1. Urid dhal  - 1 cup

Other ingredient  required as seasoning adding to the batter

Green chili     - 1
Ginger            - 1/4 teaspoon
Onion             - 1
Salt
Curry leaf

Adding the other ingredient is totally optional as it gives the flavor.

5. Preparation

Grinding the batter

1. Soak the urid dhal in the water for two hour. 
2. Drain the urid dhal from the soaked water,use the 1 table spoon to 2 table spoon of soaked water for grinding, as this water has starch from urid dhal makes the Vadai batter mushy. Use the water sparnkily as and when required not to add too much water, as it makes the batter watery after adding salt.
3.  Batter must be flowing consistency in the water.

Preparing the batter for frying

1. To a mixer grinder, add 1 green chili,1/4 teaspoon of ginger, and salt required to the batter, grinded into a coarse paste.
2.  Add these grinded coarse paste to the batter.
3. Add the chopped onion, chopped curry leaf and chopped coriander to the batter and give a nice mix. 
4. Adding whole black pepper is optional, If needed add at this stage along with other ingredient.

For Vadai or Doughnut shape

• To a pan or kadai, add the required oil to fry the vadai, and Let start making the vadai.
• First wet the whole hand (right hand) in a water,  Always remember to keep a bowl of water as side while making vadai.
• Then to a batter, take a one whole round size batter as much as palm holds and make it to a round shape by rolling in the same hand. The wet hand make the dough in the hand non sticky.
• Then to the other hand (left), place a round ball dough, and immerse the right hand index finger to the water and make little hole in the center of the dough.
• Now the doughnut shape is ready and with the help of the right hand slowly take it from the left hand and add the batter for frying.
• After 2 to 3 minutes turns the vadai to the other side and fry evenly till the golden colour.

• Now the vadai is ready to serve.