Gina’s Vadai – traditional Indian snack in the east of Singapore
If a hot, crispy and savoury doughy fritter is your kind of snack, then you need to give Gina’s Vadai a try. Tucked at a dark corner at level 1 of Dunman Food Centre, Gina whips out hundreds of vadais for her loyal patrons.
So. what is a vadai?
Vadai is a savoury fried fritter that originaled from Southern India. It is crispy on the outside and soft in the inside.
Fun fact!
Many Singaporeans eat vadai with raw green chilli, but this practice is uncommon in India. According to this article from NLB, eating vadai with green chilli ‘probably evolved from the local Chinese community’.
I was at Dunman Food Centre on a sweltering hot Saturday lunch hour. The golden brown vadais looked so delectable that I needed to try them even though it’s a day more suitable for drinking sugar cane juice.
Gina’s vadai starts from $1.20 a piece. On the day when I was there, she had Gina’s Original Prawn Vadai ($1.20), Veggie Vadai ($1.20), Ikan Bilis Vadai ($1.80), Crabstick Vadai ($1.80) and Big Prawn Vadai ($2.50).
According to a poster, there are 9 vadai flavours available, including cheese and tofu), and 3 types of dips. Wow. But I bought the original prawn vadai as I’m always try the most basic flavour first.
My Verdict
What a delicious vadai with a very crispy outside and a fluffy inside. There are vadai from other stalls that have a very doughy and heavy texture within, but not Gina’s! I love how well the prawn goes with the golden brown, crispy crust, and the savoury flavour is on point. Paired with the crunchy and spicy green chilli, this piece of vadai transported me to snack heaven.
As I couldn’t finish all 5 vadais at one go, I reheated some of them in an airfryer for 5 minutes at 180 degrees. I’m happy to say they still tasted really good!
Will I buy again from Gina’s Vadai?
Yes, of course! The original prawn vadai is definitely value for money at $1.20 a piece. A prawn is not cheap these days ok. Gina is also a very nice and friendly lady, not that it affects my purchase decision, but it is definitely a plus.
Gina’s Vadai
Location: Dunman Food Centre, 271 Onan Road, #01-06, Singapore 424768
Opening Hours: Wednesday to Saturday 9am to 3pm.
