Vada
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Masala vadai

A vada (left center), served with an idli, coconut chutney and sambar.

A vadai (Tamil: வடை, Malayalam: വട; also known as vada, wada or vade; pronounced "vah-daa", "vah-dey", or "vah-die"), is a savoury snack from South India, shaped like a doughnut and made from dal, lentil or potato. It is a traditional South Indian food known from antiquity ¹.

There is one other variety commonly known in Tamil Nadu as aamai vadai (Tamil ஆமை வடை, literally "turtle-vadai"). This is prepared using lentils (a mixture of ground and unground lentils), and is flat with no hole in the middle.

Vada can vary in size and shape, but are similar to the Western doughnut; however, the Indian vada is spicy rather than sweet.

Mashed or diced potatoes and/or lentils are seasoned — sometimes sauteed — then shaped, covered in a gram flour batter and deep-fried. Although battered and deep-fried, the finished product should not be too oily if prepared correctly, since steam build-up within the vada pushes all oil away from within the vada.

A vada served in a bun (known as a pav) with chutney is known as a vada pav, a common Indian street food in Maharashtra.

Thayir vadai with chili powder, chaat masala, and coriander leaves.

Other varieties of vada

• Thayir vadai - தயிர் வடை - (Hindi Dahi vada), made by serving the vada in a mix of yoghurt and spices).
• Vengaaya vadai (Hindi Pyaz vada), made with onion).
• Maddur vada, made with onion and without the hole in the middle, is a specialty of Karnataka.
• Paruppu vadai, made with toor dal and shaped roughly like a patty - this is also called aamai vadai.
• Masala vada, a softer less crisp vada.
• Rava vada, vada made of semolina.
• Batata vada, or bonda, made with potatoes, garlic and spices coated with lentil paste and fried; this form is used in vada pav.
• Sabudana vada is another variety of vadai popular in Maharashtra, made from Pearl Sago.

Vadas are also different doctorate branches of Buddhism.

See also

• Fried dough foods
• Hushpuppy, a similar dish of the American South

References

External links

• Various varieties of Vadai
• One Page Cookbook - Vada

Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/article on

Vada

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