Dahi vada is a delicious savoury snack from India. It has fried lentil dumplings which are served with yoghurt and spices for a mouth-watering snack. There are many versions of this but I prefer the simple version from Bihar. This does require a bit of a preparation but there is no taste without labour.
Dahi Vada
Recipe Type: Savoury
Cuisine: Indian
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-5
Dahi Vada or Fried lentil dumplings in yoghurt which are served with a variety of chutney and spice powders. In Bihar you would find them being served at every household during the festival of Holi.
Ingredients
- for the vada/lentil fritters
- 1 cup urad dal or Split Black gram,Soaked overnight
- 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- 3 tbsp water for grinding the batter or as required
- salt as required (i added ⅔ tsp rock salt)
- Oil for frying
- 1 cup thin buttermilk
- 2 tsp black salt
- For the Yoghurt
- 3 cups of beaten curd/yogurt
- 1 tsp chaat masala or as required
- ¼ red chili powder or as required
- 1 tsp roasted (cumin powder and dried red chilli) powder
- black salt or regular salt as required
- Homemade tamarind chutney or store bought Tamarind chutney
Instructions
For the Vadas
- Grind the urad dal with little water into a fine paste.
- Then mix cumin seeds and asafoetida and salt to taste into the batter. Ural dal is known to cause a little flatulance hence asafoetida helps in the digestion. Give it a good mix with your hands to build in some air.
- Then heat oil in a deep bottomed vessel. Keep the heat high initially when you drop the vadas for frying then reduce the heat to medium to ensure even cooking of the vadas. They take approximately 10 minutes to cook. The have a golden brown colour. They are crisp outside but spongy inside.
- The shape of vadas could be absolutely round which can be achieved by two spoons.You spoon a little mixture and gradually release it with the help of another spoon into the hot oil. This is the safest way of doing it.
- I prefer the traditional shape which is achieved by taking a small portion onto the fingers or a banana leaf. Then making a small hole in the middle of the mixture and gradually dropping it into the hot oil.This requires some practise and agility. The above method is more fool proof for beginners.
- Allow the hot vadas to cool down on a kitchen towel. This will also soak the excessive oil.
- Mix the black salt into the butter milk. Then soak the vadas in the butter milk.
For the Yoghurt
- Mix the yogurt with black salt and salt to taste. These are the only thing which will be mixed into the yoghurt. The rest of the spices will be sprinkled on the yoghurt and vadas just before serving.
To serve
- Squeeze the vadas and drain the excess buttermilk. By this time they are extremely spongy and flavourful. The place them on a serving plate. Then top it with thick yogurt. Then sprinkle red chilli powder, toasted cumin-dried chilli powder and chaat masala.
- Drizzle tamarind chutney generally and serve.
- The taste is absolutely divine.
Notes
A quick note on homemade tamarind chutney: I just blitz some seedless tamarind with jaggery,seedless dates,cumin seeds and 1 tsp of oil, water and salt to taste.To form a smooth dark chutney which is very versatile and can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week.