Maddur vada takes its name from the town of Maddur on the old Bengaluru-Mysuru highway and railway line. According to local lore, a vendor at the railway station improvised it in the early 1900s, and the vadas sold at Maddur Tiffanys and on the platforms became famous with travellers. Unlike the soft urad dal vada, it is made from rice flour, semolina and maida.
It is flat, crunchy and golden, almost like a thick biscuit, packed with sweet onions, curry leaves, green chillies and ginger. The onions are mixed with hot oil before the water goes in, which keeps the vada crisp. It is a tea-time snack that stays crunchy for hours and travels well.
At a glance
| Region | Karnataka |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Kannada |
| Diet | Vegan |
| Course | Snack |
| Prep time | 15 minutes |
| Cook time | 25 minutes |
| Total time | 40 minutes |
| Serves | 4 |
| Spice level | Medium |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Gluten-free | No |
| Key ingredients | rice flour / semolina / maida / onion / curry leaves |
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rice flour
- 1/4 cup fine rava (semolina)
- 1/4 cup maida
- 2 medium onions, finely sliced
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
- 1 sprig curry leaves, chopped
- 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
- 1/4 tsp asafoetida
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp hot oil
- about 1/4 cup water
- oil for deep frying
Method
- In a bowl, mix the onions, chillies, ginger, curry leaves, coriander, asafoetida and salt. Squeeze with your hands for a minute so the onions soften slightly.
- Add the rice flour, rava and maida and mix.
- Pour 2 tbsp very hot oil over the mixture and rub it in with a spoon, then your fingers. This is what makes the vadas crisp.
- Sprinkle water a little at a time and knead to a firm, non-sticky dough. The onions add moisture, so you need very little water.
- Heat oil for deep frying on medium heat. A small piece of dough should rise steadily, not instantly.
- Take a lemon-sized ball, place it on a greased plastic sheet or banana leaf, and pat it into a flat disc about 8 cm across and 5 mm thick.
- Slide the vadas into the oil one by one and fry on medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp, turning once.
- Drain on a rack and serve hot or at room temperature.
Tips
- Fry on medium heat; on high heat they brown before they crisp through.
- Keep the dough firm; a soft dough makes oily vadas.
- Stored airtight, they stay crisp for a day.
Serve with
Coconut chutney and filter coffee or masala tea.