Dahi Vada Recipe – Lentil Dumplings in a Sweet and Spicy Yogurt

Ingredients

• 1 cup White Urad Dal (Whole)
• Salt to taste
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil for pan frying
• 4 cups Hung Curd (Greek Yogurt)
• 1 teaspoon Black Salt (Kala Namak)
• 1 teaspoon Chaat Masala Powder
• 1 teaspoon Cumin powder (Jeera) roasted and powdered
• 2 teaspoons Sugar (optional)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Red Chilli powder to taste
• 1/4 cup Sweet Chutney (Date & Tamarind)
• 1/4 cup Green Chutney (Coriander & Mint)

Steps

1. To begin making the Dahi Vada Recipe, we have to first soak the urad lentil for 2 hours in 2 cups of water. Grind the lentil with salt adding just enough water to make into a thick and smooth batter.
2. Preheat the Aebleskiver Pan also known as the Kuzhi Paniyaram pan with a pinch of oil on each cavity. Add a dollop of the lentil batter into each cavity, cover the pan and allow it to steam in medium heat.
3. You could optionally add a little more oil into each cavity to get a slightly more crispy texture. Once the vada looks steamed from the top, flip the vada over and allow it to turn into a golden brown on both sides. Repeat the above process with the remaining portions of the batter.
4. Now heat a big broad pot of water; once it has reached the boiling point, turn off heat. Add the pan fried vada’s to the hot water. Don’t add too many at a time.
5. Give enough space for the vada’s to breathe, as they tend to expand more in water. Let the vada’s soak in water for about 5 minutes or until have turned soft. Once all the vada’s are soaked and softened scoop out draining any excess water, without squeezing them.
6. Set them aside in a serving dish. The process of soaking the vada’s in water makes them soft, fluffy and juicy at the same time making it porous.
7. Now, whisk the yogurt, black salt, chaat masala, red chilli powder, cumin powder, salt and sugar.
8. Pour the yogurt mixture evenly over the vada’s, covering them completely. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.
9. Serve a couple of Dahi Vada’s in an individual serving bowl like a dessert bowl.
10. Drizzle half a teaspoon of the Khajur Imli ki Chutney, half a teaspoon of Dhania Pudina Ki Chutney and a little more chaat masala optionally over the Dahi Vada’s for a delicious tasting snack.