Medu vada

I know these very tasty savoury doughnuts as ulundu vadai. They are slightly fermented and spiced, and served in tea shops around Sri Lanka. Some people also make these with yellow lentils, but this classic recipe uses unskinned black ones (urad dhal).

Although they can be a bit heavy, these patties are a wonderful hot snack. The secret to the perfect patty comes down to the amount of liquid. Too wet and it will fall apart in the fryer, and not moist enough means it will be dry.