Andhra Budida Gummadikaya Vadiyalu
This is the recipe for a traditional sun-dried fritter from Andhra Pradesh called Budida Gummadikaya Vadiyalu. Made with Ash Gourd (Petha Kaddu) and Udad Dal batter, a well-made Budida Gummadikaya Vadiyam is light as air and super-crunchy on frying.
Ingredients
- 3 Kgs Budida Gummadikaya, Ash Gourd
- 400 Gms Minapa Pappu
- 50 Gms Pachi Mirapakayalu, Green Chillies
- 2 Tsp Turmeric
- Salt to Taste
Instructions
Prepping the Gummadikaya
- Wash the ash gourd and cut into thin pieces about 1" in length.
- Add 2 tbsp salt, mix well and let it rest for half-an-hour.
- Take small handfuls of the ash gourd and squeeze all the water out of it. Transfer the squeezed pieces into another container.
- When all the ash gourd pieces are squeezed of the moisture, transfer them into a cotton cloth and make a bundle.
- Squeeze the bundle to remove any water that might be left.
- Hang the bundle for at least 4 hours to get rid of any moisture.
Making the Batter
- Wash and soak the udad dal in enough water for at least 4 hours.
- Drain all the water from the dal and grind to a thick paste.
- Grind the green chillies to a coarse paste.
Making the Batter for the Boodida Gummadikaya Vadiyalu
- Mix together the ash gourd pieces, the udad batter, turmeric, salt, and green chilli paste.
- Spread a cotton cloth or plastic sheet in an area that remains sunny for at least 6 to 8 hours in a day.
- Drop 1 tbsp of batter at a time onto the cloth/plastic sheet to form the vadiyalu.
- Let the vadiyalu sun dry for at least 4 days. Flip them over every day so that they dry completely.
- Store in an air-tight container.
- Deep-fry the Boodida Gummadikaya Vadiyalu just before serving.