Sambar Vada is nothing but medhu vadai dunked in hot sambar with chopped raw onion and coriander leaves. Sambar Vada is recipe made with basic ingredients. It's just crispy medu vadas soaked in hot sambar till they turn all soft and juicy. The vadas soak up sambar for few minutes, it turns soft inside but still holds a tiny bite outside makes it so tasty.
This dish is very common for breakfast or evening tiffin in lot of South Indian homes and small hotels. You will mostly see it in the menu along with idli, dosa, pongal. It tastes the best when both vada and sambar are hot and fresh. Even leftover vadas works nicely for this. Just pour hot sambar and add onion on top, it will feel like a new dish again.
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About Sambar Vada
Sambar Vada is basically a simple tiffin where medu vadas are soaked in hot sambar till they turn soft and absorb all that flavor. These vadas are made with urad dal batter mixed with onion, curry leaves and pepper, then shaped in the center and fried till golden. They soak the sambar, and becomes soft, juicy and very comforting to eat.
The nice thing here is the mix of textures. You get the soft soaked vada, a slightly thick sambar and that crunchy bite from raw onions. A small spoon of ghee or some coriander gives a good aroma also. For this recipe, hotel style sambar works well because the flavor is a bit stronger. It should not be very thick or very thin, so it coats the vadas nicely.
You can soak the vadas first in thin sambar and then pour little thick sambar on top if you want more. You can add grated carrot, coconut or little ghee also if you like richer taste. If you want very soft vadas, soak a bit longer. If you want them slightly firm, soak less time and serve quickly.
I usually make Sambar Vada on weekends when I get time to soak and grind the dal properly. It becomes a filling meal so no need for too many sides also. It is simple but tastes really homely.
Usually in hotels they use leftover medhu vadai(they make for morning breakfast) for making sambar vadai.I love sambar vadai only in selected hotels, amma loves sambar vadai so thought of trying it at home when I made hotel sambar.It is very easy to make ,so do try this at home and enjoy!
Sambar Vada Ingredients
- Urad dal - I soak it for a few hours and grind it smooth. It gives the fluffy texture for vadas. Whole or split urad without skin both work.
- Big onion - I add finely chopped onion in batter for mild sweetness. Small onions give stronger flavor, so you can use that too.
- Curry leaves - I tear them slightly so the aroma spreads well in the batter. Use fresh ones for better taste.
- Whole pepper - I add whole pepper for tiny crunchy bites. Sometimes I crush lightly if I don't want full peppercorns.
- Hotel sambar - I use slightly thin hotel-style sambar for soaking and little thick sambar for topping.
- Onion - I add raw chopped onions for crunch. Rinsing once makes the sharpness less.
- Coriander leaves - I add lots of fresh coriander for color and that herby taste.
Why This Recipe Works
- This recipe uses basic pantry ingredients but gives hotel-style taste.
- Vadas turn soft and absorb sambar beautifully.
- It's a perfect way to use leftover vadas.
- It has fresh onions and coriander, add nice crunch.
- You can adjust spice, thickness and soaking time easily accordingly.
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How to make Sambar Vada Step by Step
1.Rinse urad dal twice, then soak for 2 to 3 hours at least.
2.Then add it to wet grinder. Grind it with very little water. Grind it to a thick batter. Scrap the sides every now and then.Grind it for at least 30 minutes. When you take a pinch of the batter and put it in water, it should float that's the right consistency. The batter should be more like butter very smooth and light.
3.Now transfer the batter to a mixing bowl, add chopped onion, curry leaves and whole pepper, Mix well. Add required salt.
4.Now take a lemon sized ball, using your thumb finger make a small hole in the center like shown.
5.Heat oil, add the vadai into the oil.Similarly make other vadais too. As I used my small kadai I fried only 2 vadais at a time. Fry till golden.Prepare all the vadais similarly and make it ready.
6.Now take ¼ cup sambar in a bowl, add little hot water and dilute it.
7.Now add the prepared vadais into the diluted sambar, soak it for 2 minutes,then take it out and place it in the serving plate.
8.Now pour thick hot sambar over it. Add chopped onion, sprinkle chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot!
Expert Tips
- Soaking - I just soak the urad dal for 2-3 hours and grind with very little water. Batter should be fluffy, helps vadas puff nicely.
- Batter consistency - I keep the batter thick. If you drop a small bit in water and it floats, it's correct.
- Shaping the vadas - I wet my hands slightly before shaping. Makes it easier to form the hole and slide into oil.
- Frying - Don't fry on high flame, it browns outside but stays raw inside. Medium heat gives even color.
- Sambar thickness - I keep soaking sambar little thin and topping sambar slightly thick. Always pour hot sambar so vadas absorb well.
Serving and Storage
Serve hot for breakfast, brunch or evening tiffin with coffee or tea. For guests, keep vadas ready and just heat sambar before serving. Leftover vadas can be stored in airtight box and reheated on tawa or oven. Once soaked, better to finish the dish the same day.
FAQS
1.Can I use leftover vadas?
Yes, just warm them slightly and soak in hot sambar.
2.Can I make this without onions?
Yes, skip onions in both batter and garnish. Curry leaves and pepper give enough flavor.
3.What if my batter becomes runny?
Add a little rice flour or rava, but don't add too much. Next time grind with less water.
4.Can I use any sambar?
Yes, regular sambar works. Keep it not too thick so vadas absorb better.
5.How long should I soak the vadas?
Usually 2-3 minutes is enough. If you want softer vadas, soak a bit longer.
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📖 Recipe Card
Sambar Vada Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup urad dal
- 2 tablespoon big onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon curry leaves finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon whole pepper
- 1 cup hotel sambar
- salt to taste
FOR GARNISH:
- 2 tablespoon big onion finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon coriander leaves finely chopped
Instructions
- Rinse urad dal twice, then soak for 2 to 3 hours at least.
- Then add it to wet grinder & grind it with very little water to a thick batter. Scrap the sides every now and then.
- Grind it for at least 30 minutes. When you take a pinch of the batter and put it in water, it should float that's the right consistency. The batter should be more like butter very smooth and light.
- Now transfer the batter to a mixing bowl, add chopped onion, curry leaves and whole pepper. Mix well. Add required salt.
- Now take a lemon sized ball, using your thumb finger make a small hole in the center like shown.
- Heat oil, add the vadai into the oil. Similarly make other vadais too. As I used my small kadai I fried only 2 vadais at a time. Fry till golden.
- Prepare all the vadais similarly and make it ready.
- Now take ¼ cup sambar in a bowl, add little hot water and dilute it.
- Now add the prepared vadais into the diluted sambar, soak it for 2 minutes, then take it out and place it in the serving plate.
- Now pour thick hot sambar over it.
- Add chopped onion, sprinkle chopped coriander leaves.
- Serve Sambar Vada hot!
Notes
- Soaking - I just soak the urad dal for 2-3 hours and grind with very little water. Batter should be fluffy, helps vadas puff nicely.
- Batter consistency - I keep the batter thick. If you drop a small bit in water and it floats, it's correct.
- Shaping the vadas - I wet my hands slightly before shaping. Makes it easier to form the hole and slide into oil.
- Frying - Don't fry on high flame, it browns outside but stays raw inside. Medium heat gives even color.
- Sambar thickness - I keep soaking sambar little thin and topping sambar slightly thick. Always pour hot sambar so vadas absorb well.
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