These Indian rice doughnuts are very loosely based on a South Indian snack called Medhu Vada. Medhu Vada are made from black gram lentils (urad dal). Instead of using dal as the key ingredient of the Indian rice doughnuts I decided to mix things up a little and use basmati rice.
I should also mention that these Indian rice doughnuts are vegan.
What really makes these Indian Rice doughnuts a delicious snack is the accompanying coconut chutney. The chutney is made with freshly grated coconut, which as you can’t buy readily in the supermarket, makes it all that little more special and slightly indulgent.
I have fallen in love with freshly grated coconut, and even though it is a little bit of an effort to prepare, it’s well worth it. Unlike it’s packaged dried cousin, freshly grated coconut is packed full of flavour, is luxuriously creamy and is simply just divine.
Yes my coconut grater looks like a medieval torture device. It will raise questions and a few eyebrows sitting on your kitchen bench, I know mine did, but what a fantastic conversation starter!
That little bit of extra effort to grate coconut yourself will reward you tenfold. Plus I have also worked out you can freeze it successfully. Therefore go on a grating spree and stock up or just save any excess for a later date.
I picked my grater up from Fiji Market in Newtown. Considering I hate having a harem of gadgets swanning around my kitchen cupboards, my only pulled out once in a while grater, has a firm home.
Printable Recipe
Indian Rice Doughnuts with Fresh Coconut Chutney
Ingredients
Doughnuts
- 250 grams cooked basmati rice | cooled
- ½ brown onion | finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 6 dry curry leaves | crumbled
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 165 ml light coconut milk
- 45 grams rice flour
- 160 grams (1 cup) plain flour
Coconut Chutney
- 120 grams (1 cup) freshly grated coconut
- 1 ½ tablespoons grated ginger
- 1 small red chilli | finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 10 curry leaves | finely chopped
Instructions
- Place cooked basmati rice, onion, ginger, curry leaves, turmeric, cumin and coconut milk in a food processor or blender. Blend until the ingredients form a smooth.
- Place blended rice mixture in the fridge for a couple of hours or over night if you would prefer.
- When ready to make your doughnuts place rice mixture in a bowl and add rice flour and plain flour. Mix to form a slightly wet dough.
- Place dough on a well floured surface and kneed for one minute until smooth.
- Tear off large walnut size pieces of dough and roll in to a ball. With your finger wiggle a hole into the middle of each ball of dough to form a doughnut. These are meant to be rustic looking doughnuts, embrace their uneven form.
- Use a deep fryer or fill a saucepan or wok one third of the way with oil (I use canola). Heat oil to 170°C (340°F), or test with a cube of bread, if it goes golden in 15 seconds the oil is the right temperature.
- Cooking around 4 or 5 at a time, carefully drop doughnuts into oil. As they cook they will rise to the to of the oil, they are ready when they are golden brown, this will take around 5-8 minutes. Try one from the first batch to make sure they are cooked through. Repeat with remaining doughnuts.
- Serve doughnuts immediately with fresh coconut chutney.
Coconut Chutney
- In a small non stick pan heat coconut oil. Add ginger and chilli, cook until fragrant, then add crumbled curry leaves. Remove from heat.
- Place ginger mixture and coconut in to a food processor with 4 tablespoons of water and blend to a rough paste.
- Chutney is now ready to serve.
Oven Temperatures
All oven temperatures are fan forced.
Measurement Notes
All measurements are Australian metric standard. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified. 1 teaspoon = 5ml / 1 tablespoon = 20mls / 1 cup = 250ml /4 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon.
Recipe Notes
- 1 teaspoon equals 5ml
- 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml (Nth America, NZ & UK use 15ml tablespoons)
- 1 cup equals 250ml (Nth America use 237ml)
- 4 teaspoons equal 1 tablespoon
- I use the below unless specified in my recipes.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
The recipe's nutritional information is an approximation based on an online calculator. It is meant solely for reference purposes. If you're looking for precise details, be sure to double-check with your own research.
If you don’t want to go to the effort of making the coconut chutney for these Indian doughnuts (but please do), serve them with some mango chutney, raita or yoghurt & mint.
My coconut grater is truly the funkiest device I have in my kitchen, what’s yours?
Sara xxx
Nandita
Hey Sara,
I'm a foodblogger from India and when I saw the coconut grating pic on Pinterest, i knew i HAD to come to your blog, check this post out and leave a comment. Stunning stunning photos, and a lovely twist on our traditional medu vada made using 100% udad dal.
I'm going to bookmark your blog and keep updated on your new posts.
Great work 🙂
Nandita
Jean | Holy Smithereens
What a great recipe, I love all (ok most) things coconut. The coconut grater looks really bad-ass and yes, like a torture device indeed haha! 🙂 But that is actually already a modern spin of the old-fashioned coconut grater you will find in rural parts of Asia where people move the coconut shell in order to grate it (no handle / twisting blade)
John | heneedsfood
These look incredible, Sara. I recently used my coconut grater and was reminded of how much more superior the freshly grated flesh of coconut is than the dried stuff. And the baby soft hands you get after handling the coconut!
Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs
What a funny looking gadget. I've never seen a grater like that before! These doughnuts lok fantastic though. I'm always open to new ideas so will definitely give these a go. Thanks for sharing!
Melissa @ My Wife Can Cook
Yum! Looks and sounds amazing! I had no idea that's what a coconut grater looked like.
Fareeha
We make something similar but with rice flour. Making with the cooked rice looks like a perfect alternative and easy too. I'll try this variation next I make them
Meeta
So cool! I love these with the coconut chutney and the dipping sauce called sambar!
Amanda Mason
WOW! Simply wow!! How beautiful and FRESH is this recipe! I can't WAIT to try this one! Thanks so much for sharing! And your pictures are so beautiul!!
Valentina
Wow! Wow! Wow! I am absolutely making these. What amazing flavors -- they sound so delicious! And that's the coolest coconut grater ever! 🙂
Deepa@onesmallpot
Nice one Sarah! They look so authentic that my mouth is watering!