Medu vada (; in Tamil and Kannada) is a South Indian breakfast snack made from Vigna mungo (black lentil). It is usually made in a doughnut shape, with a crispy exterior and soft interior. A popular food item in South Indian cuisine it is generally eaten as a breakfast or a snack.
"Medu" (, ) means "soft" in both languages, thus "medu vada" means "soft vada". The dish is often mentioned simply as "vada" on menus. Other names for the dish include uddina vade Kannada, urad vada, medhu vadai, ulundu vadai (Tamil), garelu (Telugu), uzhunnu vada (Malayalam), batuk (Nepali), and ulundu vadai (Sinhala).
According to Vir Sanghvi, the origin of medu vada can be traced with "some certainty" to the Maddur town in present-day Karnataka. The dish was made popular outside South India by Udupi restaurateurs of Mumbai.
The medu vada is made primarily of black lentils (urad dal) batter. The black lentils are soaked in water for several hours, and then ground to a paste. The paste may be flavoured with other ingredients such as asafoetida, methi seeds (fenugreek), ginger, cumin seeds, black pepper, curry leaves, chillies and coconut pieces. It is then patted into doughnut-shapes and fried in oil until golden brown.
One variation involves baking instead of frying. Other variations of the dish involve use of pulses other than black lentils. For example, am-bada (or aama vadai) is made with chana dal (split chickpea lentil); occasionally, tuar (pigeon pea) and masoor (lentil) are also used.
The dish is usually served with sambar (lentil and vegetable stew) and coconut chutney. Along with idli, it is often eaten as a breakfast dish. It is also eaten as a lunch starter or a snack.
The medu vada is sometimes also served with yogurt, as a chaat snack (see dahi vada).
In Nepal, on the day of Maghe Sankranti, people make , which is eaten with a variety of boiled tubers such as yam, taro, and sweet potato.