vada Archives | Food Fashion Party

Sweet Bonda- soft spongy Urad Dal Vada soaked in sweetened coconut milk. It’s a heirloom recipe of a very culturally rich small community of a district in Tanjore/Thanjavur. Perfect Navratri Sweet.

The memories of this sweet bonda traces back to when I was about 14-15 yrs. Back road drives, our yearly trips with aunts, uncles and cousins.

That year we visited Tanjore, South India. Tanjore is known for many things: It’s paintings, the very popular temples that were build during the Chola empire, and their hospitality. How can I forget the food?! To this day, Thanjavur and it’s food has stuck with me. We stayed at my mom friend’s home. A traditional home with thatched roofs, inviting thinnai and beams that were intricately carved out of teak wood. There are not enough synonyms to describe how varied their food is and how very delicious it is.

Reaching Tanjore past midnight, we went straight to bed after a few minutes of obligatory talk….

A delicious, crispy, and spicy vada with lots of dill, pepper, and onion. This Medhu Vada is an authentic South Indian treat.

The iconic breakfast that’s popular, not only among South Indians but around the world, is Idli-Vada-Sambhar. It’s a dish that makes an awaited appearance every weekend in many homes. Vada might not necessarily happen often, but it is arguably the most popular among the three. Vada is considered a snack in South Indian cuisine. And we cannot confuse it with its cousin, the pakora/bajji, or another street snack, the Vada Pav. Medhu vada is made during festivals, for parties or for an evening snack. There are quite a lot of varieties of vada. It’s mostly made out of legumes, in contrast to the often chickpea based pakoras and bajji. I also have a version of vada with mint and cashews that is crispier and heartier in texture….

sweet bonda -Vada in Coconut Milk

Medhu Vada with Dill / Ulundu Vadai / Urad Daal Vada