Mendu Vada

Ingredients

1 cup of black gram (urad daal without the coat)

Salt to taste

8-10 curry leaves

1 tsp of cumin seeds

1 tsp of crushed black pepper

Method:
Soak urad daal for six hours to overnight. Grind to a fine paste. Add salt, curry leaves, cumin seeds and crushed black pepper to the batter and mix well.Preheat oil in a pan. Wet your palms and take batter into the palms. Shape into balls and press onto palm or onto a plastic sheet, make a hole with the thumb in the centre to shape like a doughnut. Deep-fry in medium hot oil until they turn golden brown.Serve hot with coconut chutney or sambhar.

Variations:
Replace the black pepper with cut onions or mint leaves for a different taste