There is no South Indian celebration that doesn’t feature Vada, but now you can enjoy them baked, not fried! Baked Vada, that’s crispy, crunchy and delicious, not to mention much, much healthier!
Even though I grew up in a Christian household, my mother made sure we did not miss the fun during Diwali – so much so that on Diwali, we got to wear new clothes, burst crackers and eat a lot of delicious food! I cannot tell you how much I love Medu Vada (Lentil fritters). It’s a South Indian breakfast staple, particularly on birthdays, festivals and other special days.
My neighbour makes the most incredible Vada and I wait like a dog until she brings them over in a gigantic plate with more sweets and holiday savories. But it’s her Vada that steals the show, piping hot, straight out of the hot oil, crispy and molten-soft on the inside! Ah I can still hear the ‘crunch’ in my mind!
And they are so easy to make, except for the fact that you have to deep-fry them, which isn’t exactly difficult, but if you live in a carpeted, air-conditioned house like I do, they do make the entire house smell ‘oily’ for days! And it’s a very steep price to pay because I have to then light a million scented candles, boil vanilla and cinnamon on the stove for hours and try to exorcise the stickiness in the air. And this is such a silly reason to stay away from my favourite foods, most of which happen to be deep-fried!.
So I made sure I found an answer – the Baked Vada. This Diwali, I will make Idly and Vada for breakfast, they’ll be baked, they’ll be delicious and I won’t have to battle the ill-effects of deep-frying!
And believe me, with this recipe, you will not miss the deep-frying. These are just as crispy, just as tasty as the traditional ones. Prepare the batter as you would the traditional one, but with two additions. The baking soda + baking powder really help replicate the special crispiness that you get when you deep-fry. So try not to omit these. The remaining ingredients are flexible, you can add as much or more as you need.
Why ice-cubes?
This seems to be a common question on everyone’s mind, so let me put that to the rest. Whenever you are grinding Urad dal, the grinding process may heat up the batter, and the end result will be tough and rubbery. Using ice cubes instead of water while grinding keeps the temperature cool, and the vadas (or dosa) will be crispy and soft without the need to add rice flour to the batter!
Finally, you’ll need a Donut pan for this. I bought mine off Amazon. Here’s a link. If you do not have a donut pan, I think if you grind the batter thicker and just shape it in your hands like you do a traditionally fried vada, they should still come out fine. Also, be generous with the oil brushing. It really helps the crispiness. And don’t feel bad about it. It’s still healthier and less messier than deep-frying!
Update: I did bake them without a donut pan, on a regular baking tray – the shape did not hold up, but they still taste great and get crisp!
Tip: I transferred the batter to a plastic sandwich bag, snipped off one end, and used it to pipe the batter to the donut pan. Faster than using a spoon!
Halfway through baking, be sure to flip it over to crisp out both sides. It will feel a little stuck in the pan, but use the back of a spoon to wiggle it out.
Don’t these Baked Vada look just like they’re fried? They even feel fried, with the same ‘crunch’ as you bite into it. Another indulgence that needn’t be so guilty anymore! Dunk into coconut chutney and/or sambar and enjoy!
When you make these (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here and will share it with pride on my social media feeds.
Note: 1 cup = 255 ml
Baked Medu Vada
- Prep Time:40m
- Cook Time:22m
- Total Time:1h 2m
- Serves: 4
- Yield: 12-14 Vadas
Ingredients
- 1 c urad dal (black gram lentil)
- Water, to soak the dal
- 1 inch ginger
- 4 green chillies
- 1/4 c + 1 tbsp water
- 4 large ice cubes
- Salt, to taste
- 3/4 c onion, chopped
- a handful of fresh coriander, chopped
- a sprig of curry leaves
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- Oil, for brushing
Instructions
Make the batter
- Soak the dal in water (completely submerged) for 30 minutes, no longer.
- Drain and rinse the soaked lentil. Add ginger, green chillies and salt. Grind into a smooth paste, adding only a few ice cubes at a time and as little water as possible until you get a thick, smooth batter with no lumps.
- To the batter add the chopped onion, coriander. Adjust salt if needed.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 450°F/230°C. Brush oil generously into the donut pan.
- Stir in the baking soda and baking powder. Spoon/pipe the batter into the donut pan. Dribble more oil on the top and smooth down making sure that the entire top surface is coated in oil.
- Bake at 450°F/230°C for 12 minutes. Remove from oven, flip the vadas in the pan (it would be slightly stuck to the pan, but use the back of a spoon to wiggle it out without breaking the crust). Continue baking for 10 more minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack immediately and let cool slightly before serving with a side of coconut chutney and sambar.
To reheat
- The Vadas can be refrigerated for a couple of days. To reheat, bake in a preheated oven at 450°F / 230°C for 5-8 minutes until crispy again.
Neeharika says
Hi Tina,
I tried making this recipe twice, failing miserably both times. The vadas stuck firmly to the pan and I couldn’t flip them or remove them from the pan. I could only remove them in pieces or crumbs. They had flattened too. Any ideas what might have gone wrong and how to rectify it? I wish I could get nice healthy vadas.
I did soak them a bit longer than 30 mins. Could that have been the problem?
Tina Dawson says
I’m so sorry to hear that Heeharika, but please help me troubleshoot this with you. Soaking could be an issue – I was always told to not soak urad longer than 30 mins for making vada. Are you also using too much water while grinding the batter? The batter needs to be thick, and use only as little ice cubes and cold water while grinding to get a smooth, fluffy, thick paste. A little sticking is normal, but jiggling them out with a back of a spoon usually gets them out. You should also brush the donut pan generously with oil.
Fatima says
Ahh! thanks 🙂 I needed a healthy substitute. Till I found your site, I thought I was the only peculiar one 😉
Tina Dawson says
You are in good company here, Fatima. 🙂
Kalyani says
I am so making this Tina ! I love Vadas anytime, but not the oily indulgence (to my waistline), I will take your word for it that the ‘crunch’ is still here for this baked version. will ping back and let u know how we liked it. Keep blogging those ‘ogle-worthy’ pictures 🙂
Tina Dawson says
I’m so happy to hear that! I hope you like them!
Kristan says
This is really attention-grabbing, You are an overly skilled blogger.
I’ve joined your rss feed and stay up for in the hunt for more of your fantastic post.
Also, I have shared your website in my social networks
Tina Dawson says
KRISTAN!!! Thank you so very much! I hope I don’t disappoint!
Rachel says
Tried this today. Guess I saw it late! They turned just awesome! Though it won’t look much like their fried counterparts, it taste just as good and crispy. Thank you for the wonderful recipe. Keep posting more.
Tina Dawson says
I’m so glad you liked it, Rachel! 🙂
Mavis says
Hi Tina, Not sure if my first message came through (didn’t have any email confirming), so trying again.
Any direction you can give me on making half this recipe?
Tina Dawson says
Hey Mavis, I did respond to your earlier question. In case you missed that, here’s the reply again:
“I don’t see why halving should be a problem Mavis! And no, you won’t have to halve the baking time, because you’re still filling till the top of the donut pan. But just to be safe, I’d start checking 5 minutes before the recommended baking time. And please thank your friend from me, for sharing my site! ? Good luck! ?”
Mavis says
HI Tina,
My friend stumbled upon your site and shared it with me because she knows I love vegan friendly recipes that are Indian influenced, use spices, twist on the traditional.
I love vadas!!! and like you not very excited about deep-frying in my house. I am going to try the recipe for sure – can I simple halve all the ingredients if i only want to make one pan’s worth recipe? would you suggest any other changes to cooking times, etc ?
Tina Dawson says
I don’t see why halving should be a problem Mavis! And no, you won’t have to halve the baking time, because you’re still filling till the top of the donut pan. But just to be safe, I’d start checking 5 minutes before the recommended baking time. And please thank your friend from me, for sharing my site! 🙂 Good luck! 🙂
mavis says
Tina, great recipe. I ended up doing a full batch after all. they are flatter than the fried ones, but still packed with flavor.
Tina Dawson says
I’m so glad you liked it Mavis – yeah they’re flatter, because unlike when you deep-fry, where the oil helps form a more rounded shape, when baked, it tends to be flatter. But I’m happy you still liked the taste!
Priscilla says
I made them today and they turned out fantastic..
Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe
Tina Dawson says
Yaaay! I’m so glad you liked them! Thanks for coming back and letting me know!
Richa says
Hey TIna,
Can this be made in a microwave too?
Tina Dawson says
Hey Richa, excellent thought, although I’ve never tried it. If you do, please let me know!!!
Suresh says
Hi Tina, I made these over the holidays and my kids loved it. I did make a flatter and crispier version of it on a cookie sheet for the kids. My son has a few allergies so this was a great recipe without the allergens and excess oil. I believe if you can fry it you can bake it with a few adjustments. 🙂 My wife posted a pic on Facebook and all our friends wanted the recipe. I have shared the recipe and your Facebook page. Cheers!!! Suresh
Tina Dawson says
Hey Suresh! Thank you very much for coming back here and letting me know! And thanks again for sharing the recipe. I truly appreciate it! Don’t forget to come back for more! 🙂
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I like what I see so now i’m following you.
Look forward to looking over your web page repeatedly.
Arati says
Hi Tina,
I tried this today and it came out awesome. I really didn’t miss the crispness of the original fried Vada at all, which surprised me. I had a question for you though. After I bake one side of the Vada, when I try to flip it, because the Vada is all puffed up, it doesn’t fit back neatly into the donut shape of the baking tray, esp the hole in the center. Any solutions for this?
Thanks for posting such a delicious recipe. This one is a keeper for me.
Tina Dawson says
Hey Arati! I’m so glad you liked it – as for the flipping part, I don’t try to stuff it back into the hole – rather flip and just place it on top. It’s just to crisp up the bottom more. Hope it helps! And thanks for coming back and telling me you loved it!
Tarun Verma says
Wow…u have open a window of taste for me. I have a high cholesterol so I’ll definitely gonna try this.
Tina Dawson says
Thanks Tarun! It’s reaally good, try it! Thank!
Evi says
I would love these! Definitely gonna try this recipe out.
Tina Dawson says
Thanks Evi!
Akshaya says
Awesome recipe ….will definitely try it ?
Tina Dawson says
Thanks a lot Akshaya! Let me know how you liked it!
Abirami says
Wow….nice to know this idea to enjoy vada but need not deep fry…..! Thanks for sharing! Where can we get these trays ?
Please check http://rarelicious.wordpress.com for mores South Indian, millets and kids friendly recipes!
Tina Dawson says
I’m glad you like these Abirami! I bought the donut trays off Amazon. The link is in the post (right above the pictures with the pan). Good luck!
Platter Talk says
Another recipe that I have never tried. Looks interesting and healthy. We’ll have to try it. Thanks.
Tina Dawson says
Thanks Dan!
Heidy L. McCallum says
Your recipe looks amazingly good, the photos are spectacular; makes me want to dive right into this wonderful recipe. So glad I came across your lovely blog. Have a great day and I am looking forward to trying this recipe!
Tina Dawson says
Thanks so much Heidy! Please let me know how you liked them! 🙂
sue | theviewfromgreatisland says
I’ve never had these, but I do have a doughnut pan, so I can’t wait to give them a try!
Tina Dawson says
Thanks Sue, they are incredibly delicious and so easy to make too!
Sarah @ Champagne Tastes says
I’ve never heard of vada!! They look delicious though.. I wish your neighbor would just bring some to me too haha. And yes- I don’t fry (because I burn myself, not because of carpet..) so this would be a better option.
Tina Dawson says
Yaay! Thanks Sarah! Yea, I still miss my neighbour’s Vada, but this is pretty awesome too!