Products
Dahi Vada
December 27th, 2007 filed under Appetizers, Chaat
Dahi Vadas are lentil dumplings topped with a spicy savory yogurt and tamarind chutney. These are great as a side dish for a formal dinner or served as a chaat.
Makes about 30.
Ingredients:
For Vadas:
- 3/4 cup washed Moong dal
- 1/4 cup washed Urad dal
- Oil to fry
For Garnish:
- 1 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder
- 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin seed powder
- 3 tablespoons tamarind chutney
Method:
To make the Vadas:
- Mix both dals and wash several times until the water appears clear.
- Soak dal in 4 cups of water for at least six hours.
- Drain the water and blend dal to very creamy texture. Just using enough water as needed to blend. Using too much water while blending dal will not be creamy in texture.
- Whip dal batter using a spoon in a circular motion for about two to three minutes until batter will become light and fluffy. If needed add few spoons of water.
- To fry the vadas, use a flat frying pan. Do not put more than 1/2 inch of oil in the frying pan.
- Place the heat on medium high. To check if oil is ready put a little batter into the oil, oil will sizzle and batter should start expending upwards slowly without changing color.
- Place about 1 tablespoon of batter into the oil. Batter should not be covered with oil. This will allow the vada to expand. The vada will be softer if they are shallow fried.
- Fry the vadas in small batches. Fry the vada until thew are golden brown all around.
- After you have made all of the vadas, place the vadas in luke warm water and soak for about 20 minutes.
- Next squeeze the vadas gently to take out the water, be careful not to break the vadas.
To make Yogurt topping and Garnish:
- Take two cups of yogurt and mix until very smooth. Use some milk as needed to make the consistency similar to pancake batter or lassi. Add about 1 teaspoon of salt or as needed.
- Soak all the vadas in the yogurt batter for at least twenty minutes, giving the vadas time to absorb the yogurt.
- Slowly pick up each vada and transfer into a serving dish, pouring a few spoons of extra yogurt all over the vadas.
- Just before serving, sprinkle some salt as needed, ground roasted cumin seeds, red chilly powder and finish off with a drizzle of tamarind chutney.
Variations:
- Change the proportions of dal or make vadas with just urad dal or just with moong dal.
- As an alternative, you can add chopped green chilies and crushed coriander seeds to the dal batter, just before you start frying the vadas.
- Instead of serving with tamarind chutney, you can add some chopped cilantro over the dahi vadas.
- You can also make the vadas very small and serve as a Raita dish.
- If you are vegan, you can also soak the vadas in tamarind chutney instead of yogurt and sprinkle some chopped cilantro.
Suggestions:
You can also make the dahi vadas in advance and freeze them before soaking in the water. When ready to use, take as many as needed out and soak in hot water for a few minutes. Next, change the water to room temperature and soak for 20 minutes. Now you can prepare and serve them the usual way.
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hi,aunty i want to know that the milk added to make the batter smooth is boiled milk or milk without boil can also be used.thanks.
Shakky,
In yogurt you can use any milk.
thanks aunti i’ve learnt a lot from u and not only i but all my friends love u so much.god bless u
Aunty i really learn a lot from you. Thankyou for teaching us cooking in simple way.
dearest Aunty
I tried your receipe… The vada was soft but it did not absorb curd in the center. is there anythg to correct that aunty
Ashu, here are some tips that may correct that problem:
1) whip the vada batter will and test by dropping a pea size into a glass of water. It should rise up to the top of the water. Otherwise, whip it some more.
2) don’t make the vadas too large. I use a tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop the batter and put into the hot oil so they are all the same size.
3) Fry them a little longer than you have been because the part that doesn’t absorb the yogurt is probably still a little under cooked. I fry one or two first, then cut them in half to see if they are cooked through. Then I know if the next batch needs to be cooked the same or longer.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
thanks a lot jaya
Hi Manjula Aunty,
This is my first comment and I would love to say that because of yours elaborated & step by step cooking I have learnt a lot — everybody in my home loves my cooking – my husband loves the dahi vada’s a lot and the besan ka ladoo — Thank you sooooooo much.
dearest Aunty
I tried your receipe… The vada was soft but it did not absorb curd in the center. Id there a way to correct that
Please craft far more! This particular posting was so comprehensive and precise. I truly enjoyed studying your posting. Thanks!
this is great! the videos are helpful for first generation kids when mom isn’t around!
Made ‘Gobhi Paranthas’ and they turned out delicious. The tip about filling them and leaving them for a while before rolling them – was very helpful and they for the first time didn’t seep out of the dough!
I also made the ‘Eggless Pineapple Cake’ which came out perfect. The good thing is your recipes are made with ‘cup measures’ so are easy to follow.
Look forward to trying out other dishes as well. Thank you!!
easy and simple recipe.Did try once , it did turn out well.Thanks
gr8 dish b coz less material is required
to good chat
feel to eat it!!!!!!!!!!!!!