Dahi Vada
Dahi Vadas are lentil dumplings dipped in yogurt and topped with spicy savory tamarind chutney. These are great as a side dish for a formal dinner, appetizer or served as a chaat.
Ingredients:
For Vadas:
- 3/4 cup washed Moong dal (available in Indian grocery Stores)
- 1/4 cup washed Urad dal (available in Indian grocery stores)
- 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 (bhuna jeera)
- 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. In a blender, blend the dal to very creamy texture. Use only as little water as needed to blend. Using too much water for blending will not give the desired creamy textureand.
- Whip the dal batter, stirring with a spoon in a circular motion two to three minutes, until batter is light and fluffy. Add a few spoonfuls of water as needed.
- Cover the bottom of a flat frying pan with ½-inch of oil and heat over medium high heat. Test the oil by dropping a little batter into it. When the oil sizzles, it is ready.
- Place one tablespoon of batter into the oil. The oil should not be deep enough to cover the batter; the vadas will be softer if they are shallow-fried. The vadas will begin to expand slowly, without changing
color. - Fry the vadas in small batches, until golden all around.
- After you have made all of the vadas, place them in lukewarm water and soak for about 20 minutes.
- Squeeze the vadas gently to remove the water, being careful not to break the vadas. Set aside.
To make Yogurt topping and Garnish:
- Mix two cups of yogurt until smooth. Add a little milk as needed to make the consistency similar to pancake batter or lassi. Add about one teaspoon salt, to taste.
- Soak vadas in the yogurt batter for at least half an hour, giving the vadas time to absorb the yogurt.
- Slowly pick up each vada and transfer to a serving dish. Pour a few more spoons yogurt over the Vadas.
- Just before serving, sprinkle some salt as needed, ground roasted cumin seeds, red chile powder, and finish off with a drizzle of tamarind chutney.
Variations:
- Change the proportion of dals, or use only urad dal.
- As an alternative, you can add chopped green chilies and crushed coriander seeds to the dal batter just before frying.
- Instead of serving with tamarind chutney, you can sprinkle 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 soak the vadas in tamarind chutney instead of yogurt and sprinkle some chopped cilantro or chopped mint leaves.
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