Check out Swetha Sivakumar’s recipe for baked medu vadas

‘It took months of trial and error before I got this right,’ Sivakumar says. ‘The trick lies in trapping the air bubbles and broiling the vadas.’

Ingredients:1 cup urad dal 1-2 green chillies, deseeded and cut Salt (to taste)

Directions:* Soak urad dal for two hours. After soaking, drain the water. Add urad dal to a high speed mixer jar. Add the green chilli pieces. Add fresh water, just enough to get the batter thoroughly ground into a smooth batter. Try to avoid adding any more water than absolutely necessary.

* Transfer the batter to a stand mixer, add salt and let it whip for two to three minutes (use a hand-held appliance or whisk with your hand for a few minutes alternatively).

* Add the whipped batter to a piping bag or a plastic bag and snip a hole at one end.

* Pre-set the oven to 230°C. Apply oil on the surface of the donut hole pan. Pipe batter to the pan. Place the pan in the oven for 15 minutes.

* Remove the pan from the oven and brush oil on top of the vadas. Set the oven to broil mode. Place the pan under the broiler for one minute. Take the pan out and let it cool for a few minutes before eating.

(To reach Swetha Sivakumar with questions or feedback, email upgrademyfood@gmail.com)