Dahi Vada Recipe Lentil Dumplings In A Sweet And Spicy Yogurt

DAHI VADA RECIPE

Steps:

• Soak tamarind in water overnight or for 4 to 5 hours in a small bowl or pan.
• With your hands, squeeze the pulp from the tamarind in the same bowl or pan. Strain the pulp and set aside.
• Heat oil in a small pan. Lower the heat and add cumin seeds and let them crackle.
• Add ginger powder, red chili powder, asafoetida.
• Stir and add the strained tamarind pulp. Cook for 2 to 3 mins.
• Add the jaggery and salt and simmer for 4 to 5 mins more on low to medium-low heat. The mixture would thicken. Let the tamarind chutney mixture cool.
• When cooled, store the tamarind chutney in an air-tight dry jar or container.
• Blend or grind all the ingredients mentioned under the green chutney list with water.
• Remove and set aside in a small bowl.
• First pick and then rinse the lentils for 3 to 4 times in water.
• Soak the lentils in enough water overnight or for 4 to 5 hours.
• Drain all the water and add the lentils in a blender or mixer-grinder.
• Add chopped green chilies, chopped ginger, cumin seeds, asafoetida and salt.
• Add water in parts and grind to a smooth thick or medium-thick flowing batter.
• Take the ground batter in a bowl. Stir the batter briskly for a couple of minutes. This aerates the batter making it more light and fluffy.
• Add the chopped raisins and cashews. Combine well and set aside.
• Heat a kadai or pan with oil for deep frying.
• When the oil becomes medium hot, add spoonfuls of the batter in the oil.
• Don't be in a hurry to turn them.
• When you see the vada becoming pale golden from the base and sides, you can turn them.
• Fry the vada until they become golden and crisp. Place on paper towels.
• In another bowl take water. Wait for 2 to 3 minutes and while the vada are still hot, place the vada in the water. Soak for 12 to 15 minutes.
• The vada will release some of the oil and absorb water increasing a bit in size with a color change.
• Take each vada and flatten and press between your palms to remove the water.
• Place these vada in a serving bowl or tray.
• Whisk curd (yogurt) until smooth. Pour the curd over the vada evenly all over covering them.
• Top with the green chutney and tamarind chutney as needed.
• Sprinkle a few pinches of red chili powder or cayenne, roasted cumin powder, chaat masala and black salt.
• Garnish with pomegranate arils and coriander leaves.
• Serve dahi vada straightway. Or you can refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.
• Wrap the dish in plastic cling wrap or transfer to a container with a lid, and keep leftover dahi vada in the refrigerator overnight or for a day only. Any longer and the taste of the yogurt changes.
• The lentil dumplings can be made in advance and frozen before assembling the complete dish. Make the fritters per the recipe instructions, soak in water, and thoroughly squeeze out the water.
• Then place in an airtight container and keep in the freezer for up to 1 to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, and then continue making the complete dahi vada recipe.

DAHI VADA RECIPE - LENTIL DUMPLINGS IN A SWEET AND SPICY YOGURT

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Now, whisk the yogurt, black salt, chaat masala, red chilli powder, cumin powder, salt and sugar.
• Pour the yogurt mixture evenly over the vada's, covering them completely. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.
• Serve a couple of Dahi Vada's in an individual serving bowl like a dessert bowl.
• 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.