Vada (food): Difference between revisions

'''Vada''', '''vadai''', '''wada''', '''bara''', or '''bora''' is a category of savoury fried [[snack]]s native to South India. Vadas can be described variously as [[fritter]]s, [[cutlet]]s, or [[dumpling]]s.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SZSH3ok5_SsC&pg=PA3 |title=Asian Dumplings |author=Andrea Nguyen |publisher=[[Ten Speed Press]] |year=2011 |isbn=9781607740926 |page=3 }}</ref> Alternative names for this food include vadai, vade, and bada.<ref name="VKJ_2016">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bjg0CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA401 |title=Indigenous Fermented Foods of South Asia |editor=V. K. Joshi |publisher=CRC Press |year=2016 |isbn=9781439887905 |page=401 }}</ref> Vadas are sometimes stuffed with vegetables and traditionally served with chutneys and [[Sambar (dish)|sambar]].

In [[North India]] and [[Pakistan]], '''Bhalla''' is a similar food. It is sold in [[chaat]] shops and kiosks; Green bean paste is added with spices, which is then deep fried to make croquets. They are then garnished with [[dahi (curd)|dahi]] (yogurt), [[Sooth (chutney)|Saunth]] [[chutney]] (dried ginger and tamarind sauce) and spices. Bhalla is usually served cold, unlike the [[Aloo Tikki]].

The various types of vadas are made from different ingredients, ranging from [[legumes]] (such as [[medu vada]] of South India) to [[potatoes]] (such as [[batata vada]] of West India[[Maharashtra]]). They are often served as a breakfast item or a snack, and also used in other food preparations (such as [[dahi vada]] and, [[vada pav]], and [[Doubles (food)|doubles]]).

According to [[K. T. Achaya]], Vadai (Vada) finds mentionedmention in [[Sangam literature|Sangam]] literature during 100 BCE – 300 CE.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/seta/2004/10/21/stories/2004102100111600.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014222427/http://hinduonnet.com/seta/2004/10/21/stories/2004102100111600.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-date=14 October 2007 |title=The Hindu : Sci Tech / Speaking Of Science : Changes in the Indian menu over the ages |work=hinduonnet.com |access-date=26 July 2015}}</ref> A type of vada is mentioned as "vataka" in ''[[Manasollasa]]'', a 12th-century Sanskrit encyclopedia compiled by [[Someshvara III]], who ruled from present-day [[Karnataka]]. In this recipe, mung beans are soaked, de-skinned, and ground to a paste. The paste is shaped into balls and deep-fried.<ref>{{cite book |author=Pat Chapman |title=India Food and Cooking: The Ultimate Book on Indian Cuisine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=orHWFRMKf4EC&pg=PA21 |year=2009 |publisher=New Holland Publishers |isbn=978-1-84537-619-2 |page=21 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Early literature from the present-day states of [[Bihar]] and [[Uttar Pradesh]] also mentions '''''bara''''' (vada) and ''mungaura'' (a vada made from [[mung bean|mung]]).<ref name="KTA_2003">{{cite book |author=K.T. Achaya |title=The Story of Our Food |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bk9RHRCqZOkC&pg=PA84 |year=2003 |publisher=Universities Press |isbn=978-81-7371-293-7 |pages=84–85 }}</ref>

Many immigrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar migrated to places such as [[Trinidad and Tobago]],<ref name="simplytrinicooking.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.simplytrinicooking.com/doubles/|title = Doubles (As Trini as You Can Get)|date = 25 September 2009}}</ref> [[Guyana]],<ref name="caribbeanstylerecipes.com">{{Cite web|url=http://www.caribbeanstylerecipes.com/2017/04/20/guyanese-style-bara-recipe-vegan-indian-fritter-caribbean-style-recipes/|title=Guyanese Style Bara Recipe – Vegan Indian Fritter|date=20 April 2017|website=Caribbean Style Recipes|access-date=3 October 2019}}</ref> [[Suriname]],<ref name="Bara">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thedutchtable.com/2013/04/bara.html|title=Bara|access-date=3 October 2019}}</ref> [[South Africa]],<ref name="Mesthrie">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qm5uDwAAQBAJ&q=bara+indian+snack+in+south+africa&pg=PT144|title=Language in Indenture: A Sociolinguistic History of Bhojpuri-Hindi in South Africa|first=Rajend|last=Mesthrie|date=14 September 2018|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9780429785788|access-date=3 October 2019|via=Google Books}}</ref> [[Mauritius]],<ref name="Mauritius: Bhajas">{{Cite web|url=https://www.196flavors.com/mauritius-bhajas/|title=Mauritius: Bhajas|date=6 January 2013|website=196 flavors|access-date=3 October 2019}}</ref> and [[Fiji]]<ref name="thatfijitaste.com">{{Cite web|url=https://thatfijitaste.com/fiji-indian-bara/|title=Fiji Indian Hot & Spicy Bara Recipe|date=9 December 2016|access-date=3 October 2019}}</ref> in the mid-19th century to the early 20th century as [[Indian indenture system|indentured laborers]]. Bara became an important part of the Indian cuisine in these countries. In Trinidad and Tobago, bara became a component of one of their most famous street foods called [[Doubles (food)|doubles]]. Doubles is served with two baras filled with curried channa and topped with various [[chutney]]s or achars.<ref name="facebook.com">{{cite web|author=post |url=https://m.facebook.com/MatchstixGrillFood/posts/809929902376659 |title=History of doubles |publisher=M.facebook.com |access-date=2019-05-17}}</ref><ref name="Mohan 2015">{{cite web | last=Mohan | first=Neki | title=Street food of Trinidad, Tobago gains popularity worldwide| website=WPLG | date=June 28, 2015 | url=https://www.local10.com/news/street-food-of-trinidad-tobago-gains-popularity-in-south-florida | access-date=February 9, 2018}}</ref> Many South Indians also migrated to these countries and brought their version of vada. For example, in Guyana it is known as Madrasi bara or waday to distinguish it from the North Indian bara.

Vadai (Vada) may be made from [[legume]]s, [[sago]] or [[potatoes]]. Commonly used legumes include [[pigeon pea]], [[chickpea]], [[Vigna mungo|black gram]] and [[Mung bean|green gram]]. Vegetables and other ingredients are added to improve taste and [[nutritive value]].<ref name="UR_2001">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zXHVH-hqVE4C&pg=PA294 |title=Basic Food Preparation |edition=3rd |editor=Usha Raina |display-editors=etal |publisher=Orient Blackswan |year=2001 |isbn=9788125023005 |pages=294–295 }}</ref>

* ''Paruppu vada'', is an exclusive staple food authentic of Tamil NaduKerala made with [[yellow split peas]] green chillies, whole red chillies onions and salt(nothing more nothing less). It tastes entirely different to other similarly shaped vada's available in south India made of some type of [[lentils]] and an overt dose of spices.

* ''Masala vada'', made with [[toor dal]] (whole lentils) and shaped roughly like a disk. It is also referred to as ''aamai vadai'' in [[Tamil language|Tamil]] due to its resemblance to a tortoise. Other names include ''parippu vada''<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tastycircle.com/recipe/parippu-vada/ | title=Parippu Vada (പരിപ്പുവട / Dal Vada) - Easy Kerala Recipe | date=2 September 2012 }}</ref> ([[Malayalam language|Malayalam]]), ''masala vade'' ([[Kannada]]).

* ''[[Bonda (snack)|Bonda]]'', made with potatoes, garlic and spices coated with lentil paste and fried. In some regions, a bonda is considered a distinct snack food, and is not held to be a type of vada.

Parippuvada kattanchayaa2011.JPGjpg|Masala vada or Paruppu Vada or 'aamai' tortoise vadai

[[Category:Street food in India]]