Medu Vada

Preparation Time: 5 minutes.
Cooking Time: 15 minutes.
Makes 14 medu vadas  
Soaking time:  2 hours. 

Ingredients

1 cup urad dal (split black lentils)
1 tbsp roughly chopped green chillies
3 to 4 peppercorns (kalimirch)
8 to 10 curry leaves (kadi patta)
1 tsp chopped ginger (adrak)
Salt to taste
Oil for deep-frying

For serving
Sambhar
Coconut chutney

Instruction :

1. Clean, wash and soak the urad dal in enough water for atleast 2 hours.
2. Drain, add the green chillies, peppercorns, curry leaves, ginger, salt and approx. ¼ cup of water in a mixer and blend till smooth.
3. Immerse both your hands in a bowlful of water and wet your hands well.
4. Take a portion of the batter and place it in a palm and lightly flatten it.
5. Using your index finger of the other hand make a hole in the centre of the vada.
6. Transfer the vada on the fingers of the other hand and carefully slide it in hot oil.
7. Deep-fry on a medium flame till it turns golden brown in colour from both the sides. You can deep-fry 2 to 3 vadas at a time.
8. Repeat with the remaining batter to make more medu vadas. Drain on an absorbent paper.
Serve immediately with sambhar and coconut chutney.