Allam Garelu – Ginger Vada | Minapa Garelu Recipe | Ginger Medu Vada Recipe | Urad Dal Vada Recipe | How to make South Indian Vada

HAPPY DUSSEHRA TO ALL 🙂 On the 10th day, the day after Navratri, it is Dashami or Vijayadashami. This day signifies victory of good over evil. Food is an integral part of all Indian festivals and a festival without the quintessential combination of Garelu  and Payasam is considered incomplete in most South Indian homes. Today, I’m here to share the recipe for  Allam Garelu/Ginger Vada, a traditional Urad Dal Vada. It’s a deep fried doughnut shaped snack prepared with the Urad dal and offered as Prasadam/Naivedyam – “the sacred Food offered to God”.

 Allam Garelu/Ginger Vada also makes a good breakfast or an evening snack. Even though Garelu/Medu Vada is a deep-fried snack, the secret behind a well-made Vada  lies in the batter and the oil temperature at which the vada is dropped. The thumb rule is to grind the batter with as little water as possible and the oil for deep frying should be hot but not smoking.

For more tips on how to make fluffy MEDU VADA, check out THIS VIDEO  and THE DETAILED RECIPE  to nail the perfect shape & texture.

Off to Allam Garelu / Ginger Vada!!

Do check out the VIDEO BELOW for 4 must try easy recipes for Dasara:

Steps to prepare

Allam Garelu – Ginger Vada:

• Wash and Soak Minapa Pappu/Urad Dal in water for 3-4 hours. 

• Wash dal again with water, drain and blend to a coarse paste. Add very little water while grinding.
• Transfer the batter to a bowl.

• Add finely chopped green chillies, ginger pieces and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds.
• To this add required salt and mix well.
• Now, whip the batter for 2-3 .minutes until fluffy with the help of a spoon. You can see that the batter becomes airy and light.

• Heat oil in a pan over medium heat for deep frying.
• Wet your hands and make a small ball out of the batter. Flatten the ball and make a hole at the centre using your finger. Gently slide the vada into the oil by tilting your fingers..
• You can also make Garelu/Vada shape with a hole in your palm or on a plastic cover and slowly drop them into the oil. Do not over crowd the pan. 

• Fry Garelu/Vada until both sides turn golden brown.
• Remove from oil and transfer them on an absorbent tissue paper to remove excess oil.

• Serve hot vada with Peanut Chutney, Tomato Chutney, Allam Pachadi (Ginger Chutney) or any chutney of you choice….or Sambar.
• Another classic combo is Garelu with Chicken Curry….This dish is specially prepared on Kanuma, the third and last day of 3 day Sankranti festival, which comes in the month of January. If you have not tried, you must definitely try out this combo!!…………..Shhhh!!….But, today we are making them for Navratri/Dussehra….So, it’s strictly going to be all vegetarian 🙂
• If you have left over Garelu, then you know what to do!! Just make Perugu Vada/Dahi Vada.

Print Recipe

Allam Garelu - Ginger Vada | Minapa Garelu Recipe | How to make South Indian Vada

Allam Garelu / Ginger Vada / Minapa Garelu / Ulundu vadai is a traditional Vada prepared in South India. It a deep fried doughnut shaped festive snack prepared with the Urad dal and offered to God as prasadam.

Prep Time4 hours hrs

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course: Snack / Breakfast

Cuisine: Indian (South Indian)

Author: Padma Veeranki

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Urad dal
• 4-5 Green chilies finely chopped
• 2-3 " Ginger Allam piece, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying

Instructions

Preparing the Batter:

• Wash and Soak Urad dal for 3-4 hours.
• Wash the dal again and blend to a coarse paste. Add very little water while grinding.
• Add finely chopped chilies, ginger pieces and cumin seeds.
• To this add required salt and mix well.
• Now, whip the batter for 2-3 .minutes until fluffy with the help of a spoon.

Deep Frying:

• Heat oil for deep frying, make the Garelu shape with a hole in the middle using your hand or on a plastic cover and slowly drop them into the oil. Do not over crowd the pan.
• Fry until both sides until they turn golden brown.
• Remove them out of oil and place them on a paper towel.
• Serve hot with chutney of your choice.

Recipe Video

Notes

• Adjust quantity of green chillies and ginger to suit your spice levels. You can also grind them along with urad dal while preparing batter.
• You can add a teaspoon of rice while soaking dal or add a little rice flour after grinding. The rice flour helps to get crispy vadas.
• Be sure to add as little water as you can while grinding the batter. Otherwise, the vada will not hold shape or then absorb a lot of oil.
• Be careful while dropping vada into the hot oil; Oil will splash onto your hand and burn you.
• For prasadams, usually we do not add onions. But, you can also prepare vada by adding onions, coriander or even mint leaves gives a nice aroma and taste to the vada.
• Adding mint leaves gives aroma and nice taste  to the vada.
• If you have left over Garelu, just make Perugu Vada / Dahi Vada.

Hope you enjoyed Allam Garelu Prasadam Recipe!!

Check out Ulli Garelu Video Recipe  and Detailed written Recipe  for more tips !!

Other FESTIVAL RECIPES , DASARA RECIPES,   DIWALI SNACK RECIPES and QUICK BITES  from blog.

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Happy Cooking 

Cheers!!

Padma.