Happy Birthday: Karnataka’s favourite snack, Maddur Vada, turns 100
- Maddur Vada turns 100
- So popular was the snack that the Mysuru royals enjoyed it, too
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If you’ve ever travelled by train, chances are you’ve come across and even had a piping hot vada or two when the snack seller has passed by.
Unlike the donut-like crispy South Indian vada, this Maddur vada is more of a flattened version of an idly, if you will, but deep fried. The name of the vada comes from the town called Maddur.
Legend has it that this vada came into being, when the owner of this famous snack, Ramachandra Budhya, rustled it up with whatever ingredients he had in his kitchen when pressed against time.
According to the Bangalore Mirror, “In April 1917, Ramachandra Budhya, who ran a Vegetarian Refreshment Room (VRR) at Maddur railway station, was at his wit’s end as the next train was about to arrive in a few minutes and he didn’t have enough time to prepare the pakodas that he usually served to the passengers. He calculated the time it would take the train to arrive at the station, slapped all the ingredients at his disposal into a thin patty and fried it.”
Kundapur-native Budhya ran the Vegetarian Refreshment Room (VRR) from 1917 to 1937, and his family took over and ran it till 1948 at the Maddur Railway Station.
After 1948, the HD Hebbar family took over and refined the vada over the years. His son, Gopalaiah, took the vada out of the railway station and into plates across Karnataka. Such was its popularity that the restaurant - Maddur Tiffanys - opened in 1987.
Royal Fare:
Not only did the Mysuru royalty – the Wodeyars - visit the place, but they would also have it sent o their palace. Befitting of royalty, these vadas were sent on silver plates.
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