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 and gluten free.
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.
Print- Yield: 25 donuts 1x
Ingredients
- 250 g cooked basmati rice (cooled)
- ½ brown onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 6 dry curry leaves (crumbled)
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 165 ml light coconut milk
- 45 g rice flour
- 160 g 1 cup plain flour
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.
- Category: Dessert, Snacks
- Cuisine: Indian
Hi Sara, these look delish! However, you mentioned these are gf, but the recipe calls for a cup of flour. Was it gf flour you used? Thanks!
Hi Shuchi, Yes, use gluten free flour.
Thanks for sharing this looks yummy.
Is there a recipe for the coconut chutney ? Or is it just ground up coconut.
Hi Susan,
For some reason Honest Cooking haven’t published my recipe for that. You will find the recipe for the coconut chutney on the original recipe on my blog, here is the link http://bellyrumbles.com/indian-rice-doughnuts