Instant medu vada recipe | medu vada from leftover rice | sambar vada recipe

This is a quick and easy combo made from leftover rice and dal. I’m sharing some tips and tricks to make crispy and fluffy medu vada using leftover rice, along with special masala tips to prepare hotel-style sambar from leftover dal. This South Indian combo is simple to make and perfect for breakfast or tiffin recipes.

I’ll also share the perfect ingredient ratio and a few essential tips to help you achieve crispy and fluffy instant medu vada and flavorful sambar on your first attempt. Give it a try and enjoy its mouth-watering taste with your friends and family!

For Medu Vada:

1. The vada batter is the key to achieving perfectly crispy and fluffy medu vada. I grind leftover rice with some curd to help it blend smoothly into the vada mixture. Additionally, I add some rava and rice flour for better binding and crispiness. A boiled potato is also mixed in, making the vada soft and fluffy.
2. Vada should be semi-soft, so do not add too much water to the vada dough. If the vada dough is too soft, it will not hold its shape properly. Also, shape the vada with slightly wet hands. If shaping by hand is difficult, use a tea sieve or a glass to achieve the perfect shape.
3. Fry the vadas on a medium flame until they turn crispy on the outside and are fully cooked inside.

For Sambar:

1. I prepare sambar using leftover dal and enhance its flavor with a special masala paste, which gives it a rich color and authentic taste. Adding tamarind water and jaggery ensures a well-balanced flavor.
2. The choice of vegetables in sambar is flexible—you can experiment with your favorites. Apart from the veggies used in this recipe, you can also add eggplant, cauliflower, radish, or okra.
3. Let the sambar simmer on low to medium flame for 15–20 minutes to deepen its flavor and enhance its color.

Please do visit my other related recipe collection like

• Pakoda recipes collection
• South indian recipe collection
• Snacks recipes collection

Recipe video 

Instant medu vada recipe | medu vada from leftover rice | sambar vada recipe

Author Nehas Cook Book

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Resting time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Meal

Cuisine south indian

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

For medu vada

• ▢ 1 cup left over rice
• ▢ ¼ cup curd
• ▢ ½ cup fine rava
• ▢ ½ cup rice flour
• ▢ 1 boiled and mashed potatoes
• ▢ 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ▢ 2 chopped green chilli
• ▢ 1 tsp grated ginger
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ 1 small size chopped onion
• ▢ Some coriander leaves
• ▢ ¼ tsp baking soda
• ▢ 1 tsp lemon juice
• ▢ Oil for frying

For sambar

• ▢ 2 tbsp oil
• ▢ ¼ tsp mustard seeds
• ▢ Pinch of hing
• ▢ 1 tsp chana dal
• ▢ 4-5 methi dana
• ▢ 2 dry red chilli
• ▢ Some curry leaves
• ▢ 1 small size onion slices
• ▢ 1 chopped green chilli
• ▢ 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• ▢ ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ▢ 1 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
• ▢ 1 tbsp coriander powder
• ▢ 1 tbsp sambar powder
• ▢ 2 cup hot water or as required
• ▢ 1 chopped tomatoes
• ▢ ½ cup chopped bottle gourd - lauki pieces
• ▢ 1 drum stick pieces
• ▢ 1 tbsp tamarind pulp
• ▢ 1 tbsp jaggery
• ▢ 1 cup left over dal
• ▢ Some coriander leaves

Instructions

Making Instant Medu Vada

• In a mixer jar, add 1 cup rice and ¼ cup curd. Do not add anything else and grind it into a paste.
• Transfer the ground paste into a mixing bowl and add ½ cup rava, ½ cup rice flour, and 1 boiled and mashed potato. Mix well.
• Add 3-4 tbsp water and make a semi-soft dough for vadas. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.
• After resting, add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2 chopped green chilies, 1 tsp grated ginger, salt, 1 small chopped onion, some coriander leaves, ¼ tsp baking soda, and some lemon juice. Mix well. The vada mixture is ready.
• Slightly wet your hands and take a ball-sized portion of the dough. Flatten it with your hands and make a hole in the center.
• Drop it into hot oil and fry the vadas on a medium flame, stirring occasionally.
• Fry the vadas until they turn golden brown on both sides. Drain them on a kitchen towel to remove excess oil.
• Serve the instant medu vada with sambar.

Making Sambar

• In a pan, heat 2 tbsp oil and add ¼ tsp mustard seeds, a pinch of hing, 1 tsp chana dal, 4-5 methi seeds, 2 dry red chilies, and some curry leaves. Sauté them.
• Add 1 small sliced onion and sauté it. Then add 1 chopped green chili and 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste. Sauté well.
• In a bowl, mix ½ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder, 1 tbsp coriander powder, 1 tbsp sambar masala, and some water to make a masala paste.
• Add the masala paste to the tempering and sauté until the oil releases from the sides.
• Add 2 cups of hot water and salt. Mix well and bring it to a boil.
• Add 1 chopped tomato, ½ cup dudhi pieces, and 1 chopped drumstick. Also, add 1 tbsp tamarind pulp and 1 tbsp jaggery. Mix well and let it boil for 8-9 minutes on low flame until the vegetables are properly cooked.
• Add 1 cup of leftover dal, mix well, and boil the sambar for 5-7 minutes.
• Garnish with coriander leaves. The sambar is ready to be served with medu vada.

Notes

• Grind leftover rice with curd so that the rice easily merges into the medu vada mixture.
• Rava absorbs water from the vada mixture and gives it a crispy texture.
• Rice flour provides binding and a crispy texture to the vada.
• The addition of boiled potatoes makes the vada fluffy and soft.
• Make a semi-soft vada mixture. Do not make a liquidy mixture.
• Fry the vada on a medium flame.

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