Dahi Vada Recipe

Dahi vada is fried dumplings made from lentils, soaked in water and then served smothered in yogurt, coriander, and tamarind chutney. This is a perfect side dish to accompany your meal. It is often made on special occasions or when you have guests at your house. Though the process is quite long but is still very easy to follow and the end result is very tasty and satisfying.

So if you want to know the step by step recipe of dahi vada then keep on reading.

Ingredients:

• For the vada
• Urad dal- 1 cup
• Green chilli- 1 (chopped)
• Cumin seeds/jeera- 1 tsp.
• Ginger- ½ inch (chopped)
• Asafoetida/hing- a pinch
• Water- 3 tbsp.
• Raisin/kishmish- ½ tbsp.
• Cashews/kaju- 9-10
• Salt to taste

Additional ingredients:

• Yogurt/curd- 2 cups
• Chat masala- 1 tsp.
• Red chilli powder- ½ tsp.
• Cumin/jeera powder- salt to taste
• For the tamarind chutney:
• Tamarind- ½ cup (seedless)
• Water- 1 ¾ cup
• Ginger powder- ½ tsp.
• Asafoetida/hing- 1 pinch
• Cumin/jeera- ½ tsp.
• Red chilli powder- ¼ tsp.
• Jiggery/gur- 7-8 tbsp.
• Salt as per your taste
• Oil- 1 tsp.

For green chutney-

• Fresh coriander leaves- 2 cups
• Dried mango powder- ½ to 1 tsp.
• Garlic- 1-2 cloves
• Salt as per taste
• Water for grinding

Procedure:

For the tamarind chutney-

1.  Soak the tamarind pulp in water for a couple of hours (3-4 hours). Once the tamarind is soft squeeze the pulp from the tamarind in the water. Strain the pulp into another bowl and keep aside.
2.  In a small pan heat some oil and roast the cumin seeds. Add the ginger powder, chilli powder and asafoetida to the oil. Now add the strained tamarind pulp and stir.
3.  Cook for 2-3 minutes. Now add the jaggery and salt to the chutney and cook for another 5 minutes and then turn off the flame.
4.  Transfer to a bowl and let it cool down.

For the coriander chutney-

1.  Put all the ingredients mentioned for the coriander chutney in a grinder and grind it to form a smooth paste.
2.  Transfer to a separate bowl and keep aside.

For the vada-

1.  Start by washing the lentils in water at least 3-4 times. Now soak the lentils overnight in water.
2.  Next day drain the water from the lentils and grind the lentils in a grinder. Add the chopped ginger, green chillies, cumin seeds and asafoetida to the lentils and grind. You can also add some water to make the grinding smooth and easy.
3.  Transfer the ground lentils to a bowl and whisk the batter briskly with your fingers for a few minutes. This will add air to the batter and will make the vadas fluffy.
4.  Now add the chopped cashews, raisins and salt to the batter and mix.
5.  Now in a kadhai, heat oil for deep frying. When oil gets moderately hot you can start making the vadas.
6.  With your hands or a spoon start adding little balls of the batter in the hot oil. Make sure not to overcrowd the kadhai or be in a hurry to flip the vadas, because either way, you are going to spoil them.
7.  When the vada is lightly golden from one side, you can gently flip them and cook until golden and crisp.
8.  Once the vadas are cooked remove them on a kitchen towel to let the excess oil get soaked.
9.  Now fill another bowl with water and put the vadas in this bowl filled with water. Soak them for 15-20 minutes.
10.  Once the vadas have soaked enough, it’s time to assemble them.
11.  Take out the vada from the water, flatten it between your palms to get rid of the excess water and place it on the serving plate/bowl. Smother the vadas with smooth chilled yogurt, followed by coriander chutney and tamarind chutney.
12.  Sprinkle with red chilli powder, cumin powder, black salt and chat masala.
13.  Serve immediately or after chilling it in the refrigerator.

Image Source: archanaskitchen