Make Crispy Medu Vadas with a Perfect Hole

Have you always struggled to get the hole in your medu vadas? Or are you one of those who has such confidence in your inability that you never even tried? Those days might be happy history, thanks to an innovative new product from the iD Fresh Food lab.

The Bangalore based start-up will soon launch the revolutionary iD Squeeze & Fry Vada Batter, which comes with a patented snout to help you fry perfect vadas. Watch this TVC to see how it works.

So basically, all you have to do is squeeze and fry, just like the product name says! Coming up with this design wasn't an easy task though, with the iD team even considering it abandoning it a few times. But we're glad they cracked it. PC Mustafa, CEO and Co-Founder, iD Fresh Food tells us more:

1. How did you come up with the idea? Did you get feedback that people are finding it hard to get the hole in the vada?

Making vadas, an all-time favorite snack at home has been an age-old problem. It involves a lot of mess, stress and planning. Getting the perfect-looking vadas at home is really tedious. The younger generation are people who are aware of how challenging making vadas at home can be and so avoid preparing it. Hence, making vadas at home has slowly started disappearing. We at iD identified this problem and tried to solve it with application of common sense. This journey started three years ago.

2. Who cracked it and how?

The project was headed by Abdul Nazer, our co-founder who is also the head of new product development at iD.

3. Is the packaging eco-friendly?

The packaging is made of superior quality food grade plastic.

4. Since most South Indians would know how to get the hole in the vada, is this product targeted at non South-Indians?

We spoke to a lot of new gen home makers (lot of south Indians) and most had no idea on how to get the hole for the vada. We realised they would end up frying fingers rather than frying the vada! The product is meant for the masses and not based on ethnicity.

5. How does your wife make vadas at home?

My wife has never made vada in her life because of the complexities involved. I’m sure I’ll be served homemade vadas hereon with iD Squeeze & Fry Vada Batter.

6. Would you introduce doughnut batter as it, too could benefit from your patented snout?

Well, we haven’t thought of doughnut batter as yet. However, we are getting many requests for the same.

7. What are you working on next?

We are looking at relaunching our chutney and also authentic, freshly brewed natural filter coffee decoction.

8. Do you prefer medu vada with chutney or sambhar or both?

I prefer coconut chutney.

9. Is vada your favourite South Indian dish? If not, which one is it?

Idly and vada teamed up with sambhar and chutney is my favourite South Indian dish.

10. Do you think innovation is going to be the key selling point for kitchen products in 2018?

We at iD understand a customer’s problem, use common sense to solve it and make it an ‘aha’ moment for them. That is the best way to gratify your consumers as well as stay ahead of the competition.

The product will be available for purchase in Bangalore soon. Stay tuned for more updates.

In the meanwhile, here's a traditional medu vada recipe:

Ingredients:

1/3 Cup Urad Dal

Salt To Taste

Asafoetida or hing

4 to 5 Curry Leaves

Few Green Chillies

Oil for Deep frying

Method:

1. Soak urad dal for half an hour. Then drain the excess water.

2. Put the urad dal in a grinder, add the other ingredients and grind to a smooth paste, using very little water.

3. Beat the batter vigorously to aerate it.

4. Place flat, round discs of the batter on a banana leaf that has been moistened with water. Make small holes in the centre using your finger.

5. Slowly slide off the discs from the leaf onto medium hot oil. Fry until golden brown.

6. Serve hot with sambhar and coconut chutney.