Ingredients

• 1 litre curd
• 1 cup black gram (Urad) dal
• 2 tbsps grated coconut
• 2 to 3 green chillies
• 2 cm ginger
• 2 tsps oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• Few curry leaves
• 2 tbsps coriander leaves, finely chopped
• Khara boondi to garnish
• salt to taste
• Oil to fry

How to Make Festive Thair Vada

• Soak the dal in water for 2 hours. Drain and grind with salt to a fluffy batter, using just a sprinkling of water.
• Heat oil for deep frying till it is moderately hot.
• Take a piece of plastic sheet and grease it lightly with oil.
• Place about 3 tbsps of the vadai mixture on it.
• Flatten to a disc, about 1.5 cm thick.
• Make a depression in the center with your forefinger.
• Transfer it carefully into the oil.
• Shape 3 or 4 more vadas and drop them into the oil.
• Fry on moderate heat till the vadas are cooked and golden brown.
• Well-made medu vadas are soft and spongy with a thin crisp skin.
• Take 1 cup of curd and beat it till it turns smooth. Add 2 - 2.5 cups of water and salt. Mix well.
• Grind coconut with chillies and ginger and add. Also add the coriander leaves.
• Heat the oil in a small fry pan. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add curry leaves and add to the curd mixture.
• Add the hot medu vadas to this thin curd mixture. Let it soak for at least 30 mins.
• Beat the remaining curd till smooth. Add salt to taste.
• To serve, top the soaked vadas with the curd and garnish with boondi.