Dahi vada
Soft lentil dumplings soaked in spiced yogurt. Makes 35–40
Dahi vada are soft, spongy dumplings of ground urad, moong and black-eyed bean lentils, fried, soaked and then covered in a cool spiced yogurt with cumin, chilli and tamarind chutney. They are a cooling, tangy party dish. Instead of soaking the fried vadas in hot water, you can soak them in thin buttermilk for an hour for an even softer, tangier vada.
- Total time
- 100 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the vada
For the masala yogurt
For garnishing
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (5)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Soak 2 ⅝ oz husked black gram lentils (urad dal), 3 ⅛ oz husked green gram lentils (moong dal) and 3 ⅛ oz husked black-eyed bean lentils separately overnight in warm water.
Step 2: Drain off the excess water and grind each into a thick, coarse paste, adding only a little ¼ cup water. Mix all the pastes together.
Step 3: Add ⅓ oz fresh coriander, 1 medium onion, 1 tsp ginger paste, 2 tsp green chilli paste, 1 tsp cumin seeds and 1 tsp salt and mix well.
Step 4: Heat oil over medium heat. Drop in a tablespoonful of mixture at a time and fry until brown. Drain, cool and keep aside.
25 minStep 5: Put the vadas in a broad bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover. Leave for 3 minutes.
3 minStep 6: Drain in a strainer and gently squeeze each vada between your palms to remove the excess water. Arrange them in a shallow serving dish.
Step 7: Whisk together 6 ¼ cups plain yogurt, 2 tbsp fresh coriander, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tbsp tamarind chutney, ½ tsp red chilli powder, 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt, and pour over the vadas.
Step 8: Sprinkle with 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tbsp fresh coriander and 1 tbsp tamarind chutney. Serve with green chutney and more tamarind chutney.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dahi vada take?
- About 100 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of husked black gram lentils (urad dal)?
- Bengal gram lentils (chana dal), same amount.
- What can I use instead of fresh coriander?
- Flat-leaf parsley with a little mint (for people who dislike coriander too).
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