Dahi Vada Recipe

Dahi Vada topped with sweet and spicy chutney and served in black plate, green chutney at the back.

5 from 2 votes

Dahi Vada is tasty and melt in mouth Indian chaat snack made of deep fried lentil dumplings, topped with seasoned chilled creamy yogurt and spices. You can make it without chutneys also.

Prep Time8

Cook Time30

Course: Appetizers, Snacks

Cuisine: North Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 168kcal

Author: Farrukh Aziz

Ingredients

For Vada

1 cup Urad Dal
1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1-2 Green Chillies
100 ml Water
Salt to Taste
Oil For Frying Vada

To Soak Vada

5 to 6 cups Warm Water
1½ teaspoon Dahi Vada Masala
1½ teaspoon Tamarind Pulp
Black Salt or Regular Salt to taste

For Yogurt Mixture

2½ to 3 cups Yoghurt
¾ cup Water
¾ teaspoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Roasted Cumin Powder
Black Salt to taste

For Garnish (as needed)

Instructions

Preparation For Vada

Clean, wash and soak 1 cup urad dal in enough water for 6-7 hours.

Making Vada Batter

Strain the water from the soaked urad dal.
Add soaked dal, cumin seeds and green chilies in to the mixer grinder jar.
Pulse for few seconds to break down the lentils. Then. open the jar and scrape off form the side. Then add 3 tbsps of water and grind.
Again, open the jar and scrape the lentils from sides and add another 3 tbsps of water only. Close the lid and grind it to a smooth paste.
Transfer the vada batter into a large bowl. Using a hand whisk or a beater, whisk it briskly for 1 minute.
Add salt to taste and then whisk it well for another 3-4 minutes.
Take a small portion of batter and drop it in a bowl with water. If the batter floats, it is ready to fry.
If not, then, whisk it for another 1-2 minutes and check again.
Heat oil in a deep pan or a kadhai. Ensure that you have enough amount of oil in pan. Because, while frying, vada should be immersed well in that oil.
Once the oil is hot, reduce the flame to medium heat.
To make vadas, first wet your palm with water. Take the amount of batter in your palm.
Now, either you can shape into a ball or make a round shape and make a hole in the centre. Anything is fine, whatever you are comfortable with.
Gently, slide it into the oil. If the batter is whisked well and fluffed, then the vadas will puff up beautifully while frying.
Let it fry undisturbed for 1 minute, before you flip or stir it in oil. Then flip and fry until golden and crisp.
Take them out and drain onto an absorbent kitchen paper towel.

How To Make Dahi Vada

In a large bowl, add lukewarm water. Add Dahi Vada masala, tamarind pulp and black salt according to taste and mix. You can use regular salt as well.
Add fried vadas into warm water mixture. Cover and keep it aside for 30 minutes. The vadas will increase in size. Also, soaking vada in warm water makes it soft and porous.
Take the vada and press it gently between the palms to squeeze it to remove water. Repeat the same for all and set it aside.
To make yogurt mixture, add chilled yogurt in a large bowl. Add water, sugar, roasted cumin powder, black salt to taste and beat well.
Now, arrange soaked vadas on a serving plates. Pour the beaten yogurt mixture over the vadas.
If you like to, then drizzle the green chutney and sweet chutney over it.
Sprinkle generous amount of masala over it.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. You can also sprinkle some pomegranate arils and serve.

Video

Notes

Please ensure that you do not add too much water at a time. Also, ensure batter is smooth enough and at the same time it should easily hold the shape of vadas. Batter should not be runny at all. Personally, I like the batter to be slightly coarse but smooth. You can see the batter consistency in the video above.

Always beat the batter well for good 5 minutes. This is key to make fluffy vadas.

Always very the vadas in hot oil on medium heat. Frying on low heat will harden the vadas and high flame will burn the vadas leaving it uncooked within.

You can also soak vadas in thin butter milk instead of warm water. But, do not forget to season it spice powder, pulp and salt.

Tamarind Pulp is totally optional and you can skip it if you wish to. But, I would still recommend you to use it and see the wonders it does to the flavors.

If you want to make sweet Dahi Vadas, then increase the quantity of sugar and sweet chutney as per your liking.

If you do not have homemade Dahi Bara masala, then, you can sprinkle chaat masala, roasted cumin powder, a pinch of black pepper powder, red chilli powder and black salt. Or mix all these powders along with little roasted coriander powder and use it for sprinkling.

Nutrition