Garelu (Medu Vada/Urad dal ke Vade)

‘Garelu’ is a deep-fried urad dal (minappapu) doughnut that is crunchy on the outside and soft from the inside. This is a savory recipe that is served with any chutney or sambar on the side. We usually make them during festivals and when there are guests at home as it is considered something exotic 🙂

I normally like the plain variety of garelu, but you may also add any veggies to the batter to make a different kind. These are very commonly had for breakfast and also make for a good evening snack.

Ingredients:

Urad dal/minappapu – 1.5 cups

Onions – ¼ cup, optional

Cabbage – ¼ cup, optional

Green chili – 3, optional (very finely chopped)

Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp (very finely chopped)

Salt – to taste

Oil – to deep-fry

Procedure:

1. Soak the dal in about 4-5 cups water for atleast 6 hours or overnight.
2. Add salt to the dal and blend it into a smooth tight paste by adding a spoonful of water a time. Be careful not to add more water, you should be able to make a ball out of the paste.
3. Add green chili, cabbage/onions to the blended dal and mix well. This is optional; you can skip this step if you want to make plain garelu. I made a batch of both for this recipe.
4. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying.
5. Wet your hand by dipping in a bowl of water.
6. Take a small amount of the batter at a time, hold it on your four fingers and make a small hole with your thumb (it should look like a rough doughnut).
7. Gently drop it into the hot oil and fry on a medium-low heat till they turn golden brown (about 2 -3 mins).
8. Serve hot with any chutney or sambar. It is best served with ginger chutney/ allam pachadi (recipe soon).

Note:

1. These garelu can be soaked in spiced yoghurt/dahi to make perugu garelu / dahi vada.
2. The main part for this recipe is preparing the batter right. Be very careful not to add too much water while preparing the batter. If you add too much water, they will not hold the shape well and also they will be very oily.
3. A small trick if you add more water by mistake is to add some soya flour to the batter.
4. Also, if you do not wet your hands before taking the batter, it will be very very difficult to drop it in the oil.

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