Rava Vada

Name: Rava Vada
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: south_indian
Ingredients: 1 cup semolina (fine); 2 tbsp rice flour; 0.5 cup yogurt (plain); 0.25 cup water (as needed to bind); 1 pcs onion (small, finely chopped); 2 pcs green chili (finely chopped); 1 inch ginger (finely chopped); 8 pcs curry leaves (finely chopped); 2 tbsp cilantro (chopped); 0.5 tsp cumin seeds; 1 pinch black pepper; 0.5 tsp salt; 1 pinch baking soda; 2 cup oil for frying (for deep frying)

RATING

4.4/5(95)

TASTE SCORE

8/10

Crisp outside and soft inside, rava vada is a simple South Indian snack made with semolina, yogurt, onion, and spices. It fries up beautifully and tastes best hot with coconut chutney or a cup of chai.

PREP

20m

COOK

20m

SERVES

1 PIECE

160 cal

SERVINGS

METHOD · 4 STEPS

mix · ~5 min
Mix the base.
1.Add semolina, rice flour, yogurt, onion, green chili, ginger, curry leaves, cilantro, cumin seeds, black pepper, salt, and baking soda to a bowl.
2.Mix well to coat the semolina evenly with the yogurt and aromatics.
3.Pour in water little by little and make a thick, shapeable mixture.
rest · ~15 min
Rest the mixture.
Cover and let the mixture rest for 15 minutes so the semolina softens and absorbs the moisture. If it feels too dry after resting, mix in 1 to 2 teaspoons more water.
TIPThe mixture should feel firm enough to hold shape. If it gets loose, the vada will drink more oil.
fry · ~15 min
Shape and fry the vada.
1.Heat oil for frying in a kadai over medium heat.
2.Wet your fingers, take a small portion of the mixture, flatten it gently, and make a small hole in the center.
3.Slide 3 to 4 vada into the hot oil and fry until golden on both sides, turning as needed.
4.Lift them out and drain briefly before frying the next batch.
TIPKeep the oil at medium heat. Very hot oil browns the outside too fast while the center stays undercooked.
serve
Serve the rava vada hot.

PRO TIPS

What to keep in mind.

7 tips from the recipe — small details that make a real difference to the final dish.

1
After the 15-minute rest, check the dough again; semolina keeps absorbing moisture, so add water only by teaspoons.
2
Wet your fingers before shaping each vada so the sticky semolina mixture does not cling to your hands.
3
Keep the vada slightly small and thin so the center cooks through before the outside gets too dark.
4
Fry on medium heat only; if the oil is too hot, the crust browns quickly while the semolina stays dense inside.
5
The center hole is not just traditional—it helps the thicker middle cook evenly and gives more crisp edges.
6
Do not overcrowd the kadai; frying 3 to 4 at a time keeps the oil temperature steady and the vada crisp.
7
Serve immediately after frying, as rava vada is at its best when the crust is still crackly and the inside soft.