KUALA LUMPUR — Is it a vadai, a prawn fritter or a doughnut?

Netizens in Malaysia are divided on whether the vadai sold at The Original Vadai is actually an Indian vadai or Malay prawn fritter cucur udang instead.

The vadai chain, which has been operating in Singapore since the late 1980s, made its Malaysia debut in Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur last Sunday (Oct 1) to much fanfare. 

A video by news site Malaysian Speaks featured a selection of vadai sold by the shop, including unusual flavours such as chocolate and cheese.

The TikTok video posted on Tuesday subsequently went viral, receiving 286,200 views and 637 comments in just two days.

Netizens from Malaysia, however, disputed whether the vadai being sold was "authentic vadai". 

Vadai, a savoury fritter that originated from South India, is made of legumes or potatoes with a blend of spices and herbs, fried till golden brown. 

What triggered the online debate was The Original Vadai's prawn vadai, which is said to be a fusion recipe different from those found in India.

Some netizens argue that this makes it cucur udang instead, the Malay version of prawn fritters, which is made with a batter of flour, eggs, water, and spices, mixed with chopped or whole prawns.

A top comment on the video stated: “That's not vadai, It's DOUGHNUT.”

Commenters pointed out the difference between the two: “Original vadai doesn’t have prawn. This is cucur udang.”

“It’s so obvious that it's not vadai. It's made of wheat flour. Indian vadai is made up of ulundhu beans,” another added. Ulundhu beans are also known as black gram and are commonly used in India in a variety of dishes.

The source of outrage seemed to be in part due to the chain’s name The Original Vadai which one TikTok user said “might deceive people who don’t know about it thinking this is how the real original is”.

Netizens were also unhappy that the snack did not follow the traditional recipe: “You shouldn’t change traditional recipes so easily.”

According to The Original Vadai’s website, its vadai recipe was adapted to suit Singapore taste buds by switching out lentils used in traditional vadai with other ingredients for the batter.

Some netizens came to the defence of the vadai chain.

"To the haters, try first then say okay? It's nice, legitly (sic) nice," wrote one user.

Another said:  “Everyone knows what vadai is. The owner just gave it a more modern take. No need to be riled up."

“The Original Vadai is just the name of the shop. Why are you all fighting so much?”, said one netizen.

The TikTok user suggested that Singapore and Malaysia may just have different variations of vadai. 

In response to TODAY's queries, Mr Stephen Suriyah, owner of The Original Vadai, said that traditional vadais that originate from India are called medhu vadai.

Made by grinding lentil, these tend to be coarse in texture, he said, adding that their strong taste also means one would usually get full from eating just one piece of it.

The 33-year-old added that his mother “tweaked the recipe to suit the Singaporean taste buds” by adding prawns and other toppings. The result is a light, fluffy, crispy version.

“We are selling prawn vadai. And it is very popular in Singapore. So generally when you ask the locals about vadai, they would think of the prawn vadai.”

Singapore and Malaysia have had a long-standing debate around food, as each country lays claims on their version of dishes being more delicious or original.

In June, a Canadian ex-minister called nasi lemak the “most delicious breakfast in Singapore”, causing Malaysians to go into a tizzy over the claim.

A second The Original Vadai outlet in Malaysia is slated to open 10 minutes from Bukit Bintang, with the brand exploring the possibility of franchising to other parts of Malaysia, reported Malay news Berita Mediacorp. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY IZZAH IMRAN