Dahi Vada is a very popular snack / chat item all over India. It is also known as Dahi Bhalla in Punjabi and Thayir Vadai in Tamil. It serves best as a starter, appetizer or as a perfect accompaniment to other dishes on a special occasion. Basically, this wonderful, rich & creamy dish is prepared by first frying and then soaking the lentil vadas in a spicy yoghurt mixture. Its then topped with some fresh grated carrot and coriander leaves. Try this delicious recipe at your home & sink your teeth in this mouth-watering Dahi Vada.
Ingredients
Urad dal - 1 cup
Green chilly - 1 or 2
Onion - 1
Coriander leaves chopped - 2 to 3 tbsp
Oil to fry
Salt to taste
For Yoghurt Topping:
Yoghurt ( thick curd ) - 2 cups
Milk - ¼ cup
Salt - 1 tsp
For Garnishing:
Carrot grated - 1 to 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp chopped
Karaboondhi or mixture - 3 to 4 tbsp
Instructions
1.
Prepare Vadas:
2.
Wash and soak urad dal in 4 cups of water for atleast 3 to 4 hrs.
3.
Drain water and keep aside.
4.
Add green chilly, salt to the dal and blend it in a blender by sprinkling water now and then.
5.
Grind it to smooth batter. ( don’t add too much water as the batter may turn runny )
6.
Add finely chopped onion, coriander leaves and hing to the batter.
7.
Mix well.
8.
Take a polythene cover and grease it with a drop of oil.
9.
Wet your hands and take a small ball out of the batter and pat it flat on the plastic sheet.
10.
Heat oil in a kadai.
11.
Place the heat on medium high.
12.
Once the oil is ready ( to check if oil is ready, put a liitle batter into the oil, oil will
13.
sizzle and batter should start expanding upwards slowly without changing its color) , now drop the vada gently.
14.
Fry the vadas in small batches.
15.
Turn over to other side, once vada turns firm.
16.
Fry them until they are golden brown all around.
17.
Drain them in kitchen tissue and set aside.
18.
Take some hot water in a bowl and add the vadas into it.
19.
Allow to soak for 2 to 3 minutes. ( this is to make the vadas soft and absorb the curd well )
20.
Now squeeze the vadas gently, to take out the water & set it aside.
21.
To make Yoghurt Topping:
22.
Take 2 cups of yoghurt and mix until very smooth. ( you can also add some milk to make the consistency like lassi )
23.
Add salt and mix well.
24.
( If you wish to prepare thayir vadai in South Indian style, make a paste of coconut
25.
pieces, green chilly, cumin and ginger, and add it to the yoghurt )
26.
Now soak all the vadas in the yoghurt batter for at least 20 minutes, giving the time the vadas to absorb yoghurt well.
27.
Now slowly pick up each vada and transfer into a serving dish.
28.
Pour few tbsps of extra yoghurt, all over the vadas.
29.
Just before serving, garnish with grated carrot and coriander leaves.
30.
You can also sprinkle kara boondhi or corn mixture for added spicy taste.
31.
Yummy yumm Dahi Vada is ready to relish..!
32.
Serve at room temperature or chilled.