You will find versions anywhere ranging from thin to thick and fluffy. Some restaurants make them similar to Maddur Vada and are very crisp with very little soft centre. The Rava Vada recipe I shared here can be used to make both – thin or thick to your choice. They turn out crisp and good either way. The thicker vada are crisp on the outside and fluffy from inside. Rava Vada are best served hot with Coconut Chutney, Garlic chutney, Pudina Chutney or Curry Leaves Chutney. This recipe is very simple and it is an instant kind meaning there is no soaking, grinding or fermenting process involved. With the traditional Medu Vada or Masala Vada, lentils are soaked and then ground to a batter or dough which is later shaped and fried. These Instant vada are super quick since we use pre-ground wheat aka semolina or rava. Yogurt is the key ingredient that helps us to bypass the steps of soaking and grinding. It not only imparts a delicious flavor but also helps the batter turn fluffy by reacting with the baking soda. The prepared batter is mixed with onions & aromatics like ginger, chilies, cumin, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Later shaped and deep fried.

How to Make Rava Vada (Stepwise Photos)

  1. For this recipe you can use unroasted rava but roasted also works. Make sure you use fine semolina (Bombay rava) and not coarse one.
  2. Add 1 cup rava/ suji and half cup yogurt to a mixing bowl.
  3. Add 2 tbsp water. Do not add more.
  4. Mix it well. The mixture must not be soggy. The dough must be moist, if it is dry sprinkle some water. Allow to soak for 10 to 15 mins. While the suji rests, chop 1 small onion (¼ cup chopped), 2 chopped green chilies, 1 sprig chopped curry & 2 sprigs chopped coriander leaves.
  5. Add ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, ¾ to 1 teaspoon grated ginger, ½ cumin seeds and a pinch of hing (optional).
  6. Add onions, green chilies and curry leaves.
  7. Mix up everything. Then beat the dough very well with your hand for 30 seconds to 1 minute. This aerates the dough. The dough must be thick, sticky and well binded at this stage otherwise it will not hold shape. It should have enough moisture else they will turn hard.
  8. Add oil to a hot pan and begin to heat it for deep frying on a medium flame.

Shape Rava Vada

  1. Grease a foil or cling wrap. You can also use damp cloth or banana leaf. Divide the dough into 10 to 12 parts and place them on the foil. Grease your fingers and flatten them. Make a whole in the center. Do not make them too thick.
  2. When the oil turns hot enough (medium), transfer the vada to your greased fingers.
  3. Drop the vada by shaking off your fingers gently. Repeat dropping one after the other to the hot oil. Do not disturb them for 2 mins.
  4. Then later keep stirring and fry well on a medium high flame until golden & crisp. Do not fry them on low heat, they will turn hard. A very high flame will also not cook them well. Serve crispy rava vada hot or warm with a chutney.

Pro Tips

For more vada recipes, you can checkSabudana vadaMedu vadaMasala vadaCabbage vadaDal vada

Recipe Card

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