Kerala Ulli Vada

Ulli Vada, also known as onion vada or onion fritters, is a simple and popular evening snack in Kerala. Made with sliced onions, gram flour (besan), and a few basic spices, it’s crisp, tasty, and goes perfectly with a hot cup of tea-especially on rainy days.

The recipe is straightforward. Thinly sliced onions are mixed with green chillies, curry leaves, salt, and turmeric. Then gram flour and rice flour are added to bind the onions. A little water is sprinkled, just enough to bring the mixture together-this is what gives Ulli Vada its crispy texture.

Small portions of the mix are dropped into hot oil and deep-fried until golden and crisp. The result is a crunchy outside and soft, slightly sweet onion flavour inside.

Ulli Vada is best served hot, with coconut chutney or just plain as it is. You’ll find it in tea shops and roadside stalls across Kerala, usually stacked in steel trays next to parippu vada and pazham pori.

It’s a quick snack that doesn’t need many ingredients, but brings a lot of flavour. Whether it’s for guests, an evening break, or just a sudden craving-Ulli Vada is always a good idea.

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Kerala Ulli Vada

Author: Ushadevi Cooking Method: Frying Cuisine: Kerala Courses: Snacks, Vegetarian

Difficulty: Intermediate Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 10 mins Rest Time 15 mins Total Time 35 mins

Cooking Temp: 120  C Servings: 4

Best Season: Suitable throughout the year, Winter, Rain

Description

A popular Kerala-style teatime snack, Ulli Vada is traditionally made with besan flour (gram flour), but it can also be made using whole wheat flour as a healthier alternative.

Ingredients

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

• 2 Medium Onion (sliced)
• 1 cup cup Besan flour/ Whole Wheat powder
• 2 teaspoon teaspoon Rice flour
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoon teaspoon Chilly powder
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon teaspoon Asafoetida powder
• Salt and Oil as required

Instructions

1. Slice the onions thinly and keep them aside. Thinner slices help make crispier vadas.
2. Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium flame. Allow it to reach frying temperature while you prepare the batter.
3. Prepare the batter: In a mixing bowl, add besan or wheat flour, rice flour, turmeric powder, chilli powder, asafoetida, and salt.
4. Add water little by little and mix well to form a smooth, thick batter. It should be thick enough to coat the onion slices.
5. Take a small portion of sliced onion and dip it into the batter. Make sure all slices are well coated.
6. Drop the coated onions carefully into hot oil. Fry in batches without overcrowding the pan.
7. Fry till golden brown and crisp, turning occasionally for even cooking.
8. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
9. Serve hot with coconut chutney, ketchup, or a cup of hot tea.