Rava Vada | Instant Vada Recipe

In this post, I have shared the recipe of an Instant Vada made with rava (sooji or cream of wheat or semolina). This crisp and tasty Rava Vada is also a quick snack, that gets done within minutes, unlike the traditionally made Medu Vada that takes a good amount of time to get ready. The next time, you’re looking for an instant snack, try these for sure.

About Rava Vada

There are many variations of vada that are popular in the whole of South India, and this Rava Vada is one such tasty variation. It makes for a quick evening snack and are simple to make. Just follow the recipe well.

Though, I’ve shaped this Rava Vada too as a doughnut, just like medu vada, but it still is quite different in other aspects. First things first, these vadas made with cream of wheat or rava/sooji are instant and don’t take as much time as its counterpart takes.

In this Instant Vada recipe, you just have to keep the vada mixture to rest for about 20 to 25 minutes. Whereas, the urad dal used in the batter of medu vada has to be soaked for a good 4 hours to overnight before being ground.

Onions are added in this recipe. However adding onions is optional and can be given a miss. But I suggest not to skip the onions because they impart a lovely caramelized flavor to the snack.

In addition to the rava or cream of wheat and onions, other ingredients that are added in the recipe of this Instant Vada are ginger, green chilies, coriander leaves, curry leaves, cumin seeds, black pepper, fresh or sour curd and baking soda.

You can also make this Instant Vada as an after-school snack for kids. Since these are made with a fine variety of rava, these have a good crisp texture and taste super yum.

While making the Rava Vada mixture, depending on the quality of rava, you will need to add the required amount of fresh or sour curd. If there is less moisture in the mixture, the vadas turn hard or dense. Secondly, do not fry too much, as then also they become too crisp and hard.

This Instant Vada can be served with Coconut Chutney or even with Pudina Chutney, sandwich chutney, mint coriander chutney or tomato ketchup.

How to make Rava Vada

Make Vada Mixture

1. In a mixing bowl or pan, take 1 cup of fine rava (sooji or cream of wheat). Note that the rava is not roasted.

2. Then add the following ingredients:

• ½ cup finely chopped onions
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
• 1 or 2 chopped green chilies
• 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
• 7 to 8 chopped curry leaves

3. Then, add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and 10 to 12 whole black peppercorns, crushed.

4. Next, add ⅓ to ½ cup fresh or sour curd. Depending on the quality of the rava, you can add ⅓ to ½ cup curd (dahi or yogurt).

5. Now, add ¼ teaspoon baking soda and salt as required.

6. Begin to mix the mixture.

7. Then, mix and gather the mixture together. Do not knead. The mixture should be thick but also have enough moisture or else vadas will become hard. 

You can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water, if the mixture looks very thick.

8. Once everything is mixed well, then cover the bowl and let the vada mixture rest for 20 to 25 minutes at room temperature.

In case the mixture looks dry, you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water and mix again.

Shaping Rava Vada

9. Below is the vada mixture after 21 minutes.

10. Again mix.

11. Grease your palms with some oil and make small to medium sized balls from the vada mixture.

12. Place them on a zip lock bag or plantain leaf. Flatten them a bit, not too much.

13. Then, make a depression in the center with your thumb or finger.

Frying Rava Vada

14. Heat oil in a kadai or pan for deep frying. Check a small piece of mixture in the hot oil. If it comes on top gradually and steadily, the vada can be fried.

15. Now, gently remove the vada from the zip lock bag and add in the hot oil.

16. Fry Rava Vada on medium heat. Depending on the size of the kadai, you can fry less or more vadas.

17. When one side is light golden, gently turn over each vada with a slotted spoon.

18. Continue to fry the vadas till crisp and golden, and turn over as needed.

19. Fry Rava Vada till golden and crisp.

20. Remove carefully with a slotted spoon, draining the excess oil in the kadai itself.

21. Place the fried vada on a kitchen paper towel to remove excess oil. Same way, fry remaining batches of vada.

22. Serve Rava Vada hot or warm with any chutney of your choice like coriander chutney, mint chutney, coconut chutney, curry leaves chutney or green chutney.

Expert Tips

1. Make sure to use fine variety of rava or sooji for this recipe. Note that the rava is not roasted in this recipe.
2. You can add about ⅓ to ½ cup curd (dahi or yogurt) or as required, depending on the quality of rava used. If you are using a thick curd, then you can add some water. Otherwise, do not add water.
3. The vada mixture should be thick but also have enough moisture or else the vadas will become hard. You can keep the mixture for about 20 to 25 minutes to rest.
4. You can add 1 to 2 tablespoons more water, if the vada mixture looks very thick.
5. I suggest to add onions as they give a very good taste to these suji vada. However if you prefer you can skip adding them.

This Instant Rava Vada Post from the blog archives, first published in April 2017 has been republished and updated on December 2022.