Dahi Vada Recipe
Dahi vada is an Indian dish made of lentil dumplings (vadas) that are soaked in yogurt and topped with a variety of chutneys, spices, and seasonings. It is a popular street food in India and is often served as a snack or as a main course dish. The vadas are made from a mixture of lentils, spices and herbs, and are deep fried until golden brown. They are then soaked in water to remove excess oil, and finally, topped with beaten yogurt, chutneys, spices, and sev (a type of crispy noodle).
Ingredients
For Vada Batter
- 1 cup urad dal
- 1 inch ginger
- 2 green chillies
- 1 tsp Cumin (Jeera)
- 1 cup water
- Salt
- 1 pinch Asafoetida / hing
- ½ tbsp raisins
- 10 cashew
Preparing Dahi Vada
- 2-2.5 cups yogurt / dahi / curd
- ½ tsp chaat masala
- ¼ tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1 tsp Cumin (Jeera)
- ¼ tsp black salt / rock salt
- ¼ cup pomegranate arils / seeds
- coriander leaves / cilantro
- Oil for frying vada
Instructions
Preparation
- Assemble all ingredients together to avoid last minute rush.
- Wash urad lentils thoroughly till water comes clean.
- Then, soak the lentils overnight or at least for 5-6 hours.
- For making Vada batter, wash and chop fresh coriander leaves, green chillies and ginger.
- Dry roast 1 tsp cumin seeds and make a fine powder using your Rolling Pin for preparing Dahi Vada.
- Chop raisins and cashews.
- Beat the curd with the help of a Whisk.
Cooking
Making Vadas
- After soaking, drain all the water and blend the lentils with the help of a Blender or Mixi. If require, add very less water for blending/ grinding. We need smooth thick flowing batter.
- Add chopped green chilies, chopped ginger, cumin seeds, asafoetida and salt.
- Transfer batter in a Bowl and whisk the batter briskly for a couple of minutes. This makes the batter more light and fluffy.
- Add the chopped raisins and cashews and combine well.
- Now, for frying Vadas, heat oil in a Kadai or Frying Pan.
- When the oil becomes medium hot, add spoonful of the batter in the oil. Do not overcrowd Vadas in the Kadai otherwise you will not be able to turn them comfortably.
- Let them cook for a 2-3 minutes.
- When the Vadas become light golden from the base and sides, turn them slowly.
- Fry all Vadas until they become golden and crisp. Transfer them on paper towels.
Preparing Dahi Vada
- Take normal water in a Bowl. Put all hot Vadas in the water. Soak them for 15 minutes.
- The Vadas will release 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 Vadas in a Serving Bowl or Tray.
- Pour the whisked curd over the Vadas evenly covering all of them.
- Add green chutney and tamarind chutney and sprinkle pinch of red chili powder, roasted cumin powder, chaat masala and black salt.
- Garnish with pomegranate arils and chopped coriander leaves.
Equipment Used for This Recipe
Notes & Tips
- Storage: You can store Dahi Vada in refrigerator for good 1-2 days.
- Lentil Fritters can be Stored? Yes, you can deep freeze lentil fritters after deep frying them in air tight container or ziplock food bags and whenever you want to prepare Dahi Vadas, just soak them in hot water for 15 minutes and squeeze out all water.
- Curd: Remember to use fresh yogurt. I always use homemade curd, but store bought is just fine. Do not use yogurt which has become sour.
- Pomegranate: If you don’t like pomegranate, simply skip this ingredient.
- Chutney: Both the coriander chutney and tamarind chutney can be made at home up to a week in advance, or you can use readymade chutneys. The leftover green chutney stays good for a couple of days in the refrigerator. The tamarind chutney can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a month, and is great to serve with other Indian snacks.
- Vegan options: Use cashew yogurt, almond yogurt or coconut yogurt.
- Spices: You can always adjust spices and salt as per your taste preference.
- Oil: You can choose any neutral tasting oil to prepare Dahi Vada Recipe.
- Other Garnishing Option: You can also choose besan boondi or farsaan to garnish Dahi Vadas.
- Ingredients & Equipment: Find these Ingredients & Equipment at specialty food stores or online stores. For review of some stores, please refer to the Grocery Review Section on our Website.
Nutrition Information (Note: Approximate)
Nutrition Facts
Dahi Vada Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
44
% Daily Value*
Fat
2
g
3
%
Saturated Fat
1
g
6
%
Cholesterol
1
mg
0
%
Sodium
75
mg
3
%
Potassium
32
mg
1
%
Carbohydrates
5
g
2
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
3
g
3
%
Protein
1
g
2
%
Vitamin A
53
IU
1
%
Vitamin C
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
18
mg
2
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.