Dahi Vada
Dahi Vadas, are one of the easiest Indian appetizers that can be prepared in advance and served to a crowd. It is made with lentils, topped with some sweetened yogurt and assortment of spices are sprinkled along with tamarind chutney. It comes under chaat category.
Dahi Vadas are a type of chaat very popular in South Asian countries. It is interchangeably called different names based on the regional parts of India. Dahi Bhalla, dahi vade, thayir vadai, dahi bara etc.
In northern parts of India, Dahi vadas are quite popular during holi festival. We usually make them around Diwali time.
The method of preparation is same and even though it has various steps, its comes together easily for a gathering and it is a crowd pleaser recipe to make ahead.
The breakdown on the process
- Washing and Soaking the lentils
2. Grinding them to a batter
3. Frying the Vadas
4. Whisked yogurt
5. Assembling
Washed lentils are soaked overnight or at least 4-6 hours. Then they are ground into a thick batter. This batter is fried into balls in hot oil. These are known as ‘Vada or plural Vadas’ the hot deep fried vadas are first put into water and then transferred to a platter with thickened sweetened yogurt. Vadas may be topped with chutneys, chili powder, chaat masala, boondi or pomegranate arils. Some people do not sweeten their yogurt. But I like to sweeten the yogurt.
Ideally these are served at cold or room temperature. I like to assemble everything and leave it in the fridge, and then add the toppings or garnishes just before serving.
Sprinkle only pinch of spices on top of the yogurt, leave rest on the side. Usually, people can add more if they like more spices or chutney.
For individual serving in small disposable cups, follow same process but place one or two vadas.
If you want to serve it South Indian style- they make a vaghar or temper mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafetida in in hot oil and then add that tempering on top of the yogurt. They tend to also some top it with some freshly shredded coconut.
Some people also add mint-cilantro chutney.
I love making these during summer as yogurt is so cooling and overall dish is served cold making it great make ahead dish.
Lots of recipes only use urad but one of my aunty makes best dahi vadas and she adds both urad dal and yellow moong dal and the result is super soft vadas. Moong dal brings softness to the otherwise crispy urad dal. Try this recipe and let me know how it turns out to be. Instead of frying the Vadas, you can also make them into waffles.
Dahi Vada
Ingredients
- 1 cup split urad Dal
- 1/2 cup yellow split moong dal
- 1 inch piece ginger
- 1-2 green chilies
- 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- Salt to taste
- Oil for frying
- 3 cups plain yogurt whisked
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 3 tbsp tamarind date chutney
- ½ – 1 tsp red chili powder
- ½-1 tsp roasted cumin powder
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp chaat masala powder optional
- 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
- 3 tbsp pomegranate arils
- 1 cup Boondi its deep-fried tiny balls of chickpea flour available at Indian Groceries optional
Instructions
Soaking lentils and batter
- Wash both lentils thoroughly under running water and then soak it for at least 4-6 hours or overnight. Drain off the excess water and blend the lentils along with green chilies, ginger and cumin seeds in a food processor until smooth. Do not add water. The lentils soak a lot of water and that should be enough to blend. Make a thick paste/batter.
- Add salt to the batter and mix well. When you are ready to fry only then add the baking soda. Beat or whisk the batter for about 5 minutes until it feels fluffy. It helps in making vadas soft.
Frying Vadas
- In a pot on medium high, pre heat oil for deep frying.
- Once the oil is hot, drop golf ball sized batter using a spoon and fry them until light golden. Do not be tempted to fry them on high heat, they will cook on the outside and remain undone in inside. Finish cooking until all the batter is used up.
- Remove them on absorbent paper to drain off excess oil.
- Take a huge mixing bowl with warm water and soak these fried balls or vadas in water for at least 10-20 minutes until they soak up water and become spongy.
- After they have been soaking in the water, remove them and squeeze water out of them by pressing them between your palms one at a time. Discard the leftover water from the bowl. They should be completely soft and not be still crispy. They will be flattened from the round shape. Leave them aside.
- In a big mixing bowl, take yogurt, sugar and salt. Whisk everything and make it smooth.
Assembly
- There are two ways this can be served. In big platter with rimmed edges or individually.
- In a platter, arrange the vadas side by side in a single layer, pour some of the yogurt all over the vadas. They should be completely covered with yogurt.
- Drizzle some date tamarind chutney, sprinkle red chili powder, cumin powder and chaat masala. Sprinkle some boondi and pomegranate arils as well. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
- For individual serving in small disposable cups, follow same process but place one or two vadas.
Notes
- Ideally served cold or at room temperature. I like to assemble everything and leave it in the fridge, and then add the toppings or garnishes just before serving.
- Sprinkle little bit of the spices on top of the yogurt, leave rest on the side for people to add more to their liking.
- If you want to serve it South Indian style- they make a vaghar or temper mustard seeds, curry leaves and asafetida in in hot oil and then add that tempering on top of the yogurt.
- Some people also add mint-cilantro chutney.
- If your batter becomes too runny, then you can add ¼ cup rice flour. It helps in binding the batter. Only if it becomes too runny. Make sure to drain excess water while grinding the lentils to avoid runny batter.
- Interestingly, vadas freeze very well. Once you squeeze out the water from fried soaked vadas, place them in an airtight container and freeze them.
XO, Devangi