Wash black gram a few times and soak in lot of water for 4 to 5 hours. Drain it in a colander.

Make a fine powder of cumin and pepper along with salt.

Add dal and blend without water. Then sprinkle 2 to 3 tbsps water and blend to a coarse paste.

The mixture will be thick and sticky.

Grease a foil or banana leaf or clean moist cloth for making the vada. Dip your fingers in water.

Divide the dough to 12 equal parts and shape them to balls.

Place them on the cloth and spread them to thin vada with moist hands. Since the dough is sticky it sticks up to the hands. Make sure the vada are very thin else they will not cook well.

Heat ghee in a kadai or fry pan. Transfer the vadas to your greased fingers and drop in hot ghee.

Flip them and fry on both the sides on a medium flame until golden and crisp.

If the urad dal vadas puff up then press them down with the spatula.

Drain them on a kitchen tissue.

Tirupati vada are ready.