Meduvada / Uzhunnuvada

With the new year on, I thought of a new beginning for my blog. Why not I invite some of the good cooks I know to share their special recipes with my readers? The first guest I have here is my aunt, Gadha - she is my mom's youngest sister. She is a career lady who expertly juggles her office and home responsibilities admirably - in short a super-woman. This is one of her many mouth watering recipes that I had the privilege of enjoying - and which she so graciously agreed to share with Sugar'N Spice.
The meduvada or Uzunnu vada as it is called in Kerala is a doughnut shaped savory dish taken as a snack by itself or forms part of a more elaborate breakfast - typically along with dosa or idlis. This is a traditional recipe with a modern twist- to suit the fast paced life of today.
Ingredients:
Urad dal soaked in water for 4 hrs -2 cups
MTR vada mix (you can substitute with other brands)-1 pack
Hot green chillies (chopped fine)-10
Onion (medium size) -1 (chopped fine)
Ginger (chopped fine)-1/4th of an inch
Black pepper crushed -1tsp
Curry leaves -2 sprigs
Vegetable oil for deep frying-3 cups
Salt as required
 Method:
Grind the soaked dal to a fine paste using as little water as possible, you can add water to the blender as needed, little at a time.  Mix it with the rest of the ingredients including the vada mix.  Set aside for 10 minutes.  Heat up the oil in a deep pan. When the oil is really hot, take a small amount of the vada mixture (size of a lemon), wet your left hand with water, put the ball on your left palm, touch the water again with your finger and make a hole in the middle of the ball and carefully transfer it to the hot oil, add 3 or 4 more of vadas to the oil, turn it occasionally to make it light brown.  Transfer it to a platter with paper towel.  Serve it hot with coconut chutney or Sambar.