How a troll video made Jose and his 'uzhunnu vada' famous

The social media platforms have been bombarded with cooking videos and photographs of food ever since the lockdown was announced. It seems everyone has suddenly turned 'master chef,' honing their culinary skills.

From the humble kanji (rice gruel) and chutney to kuzhimanti, porotta and beef and jackfruit dishes, there are no dearth of dishes that make it to the various Facebook and Instagram pages. Amongst these, a unique video has landed on the social media. People shared the video, complaining that the person in the video was a Malayali who doesn't know what uzhunnu vada (one of the most popular tea time snacks in Kerala) is.

However, not many realized that it was a troll video shot by an expatriate Keralite, just for fun. Some of his hilarious dialogues, like his comment on the iconic hole in the vada, became instant hits among the netizens. The person seen in the video is Jose, a native of Aluva. Soon, vada lovers from all over the world, found out his phone number and began calling him. Meanwhile, another video, posted by a social media user, in which he is seen chatting with Jose, too, became viral.

In the first video, Jose, holding a crunchy uzhunnu vada in his hand says, "Hi friends, this is a snack that I watched on Youtube and its name is vada. This is a special snack made using the urad dal batter. It is really delicious and I enjoyed making it. The most interesting thing is that it has a hole in the middle through which you can see the other side. I looked about it in Google and realized that it is called the poor man's food. It is said that some people make uzhunnu vada and sell them at shops. So, we tried making the vada and it is really good. You too should try it."

Meanwhile, a fellow Malayali couldn't help but wonder whether a true Keralite could not know what uzhunnu vada is. So, he decided to call Jose and enquire it himself. He posted the video of the phone call on social media. In the video, the caller could be heard telling Jose that many were confused whether there is a Malayali who doesn't know about vada.

Jose then clarifies that he used to make lots of vada for his friends back in his hometown. He added that he had shot the troll video just for fun. Jose says he felt happy when he could finally nail making the perfect vada at home.

The king of vada

The classic uzhunnu vada, with its crunchy skin and fluffy insides, is one of the most preferred tea time snacks in south India.

Check out the recipe of the delicious uzhunnu vada if you want to try it at home.

Ingredients

Preparation