Medhu Vadai

Ingredients 
Split Black Gram (Urad dal) - 1 cup
Ginger - 1" piece (grated)
Green Chilies / Dry red chillies - 3-4 (finely chopped)
Crushed Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry leaves - 1-2 strands (leaves finely chopped)
Oil - for deep frying
Salt - to taste
Water - very little for grinding (app. 1/2 cup)

Optional Ingredients

Onion - 1/2 (chopped)
Cilantro - handful chopped
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Any Vegetables - 1/2 cup
Coconut pieces

Method
1. Soak the urad dal overnight or a minimum of 1/2 an hour.
2. Drain the water and grind the dal in grinder/blender/mixie using as little water as possible.

3. Take this urad dal batter in a bowl and add required salt, grated ginger, green/red chillies, crushed pepper, asafoetida and chopped curry leaves.

4. You could add in the optional ingredients too if you prefer. Mix the batter nicely.
5. In the meantime, heat the oil for frying the vadas.
6. To shape the vadas, wet your hand, take a small portion of batter on the palm your hand.
7. Using the finger of your other hand or the thumb of the same hand, make a small hole in the center of the batter.
8. Gently slide the batter into the hot oil. The hole helps in even cooking of the vadas inside and out. The vadas should be fried in medium heat.
9. Once the vadas get golden brown on one side, flip it and cook the other side.
10. Once the vada fully turns golden brown, remove it and let it rest on paper towels to remove excess oil.
11. Serve hot with coconut chutney or sambar all by itself or with any south indian breakfast items like idli,pongal etc.

Variations
        - You could sneak in any veggies to get different vadas like cabbage vadai, spinach (keera) vadai, carrot vadai, broccoli vadai etc.
        - With the left over vadas you can make other delicasies like curd vada, sambhar vada, rasam vada etc