Dahi vada recipe - This is north Indian dahi bhalla recipe. deep fried lentil dumplings topped with yogurt, chutneys and chili powder, roasted cumin powder.
To get the perfect vada, you must beat the batter till it gets light and fluffy. This is very important step. This helps to make the soft and porous vada. They should be fried immediately after beating the batter. You can munch on these fried vadas as a cook’s treat.
Once the vadas are fried, they are soaked in the water. This process makes it more softer. Those porous part of the vada will soak up the water.
So after soaking, we need to squeeze it lightly to remove excess water. This should be done gently otherwise vada will get break.
Then vada are topped with yogurt and two chutneys (Green coriander chutney and Tamarind date chutney). Then chili powder and roasted cumin powder is sprinkled.
I always love the chaat recipes but this one has special space in my heart. My mom always makes this a day before diwali. I used to munch on the fried vadas itself. Then I eat a plate of dahi vada as well. You know we all indulge during the holidays. Making dahi vada during diwali is the tradition in my family.
At my in-law’s place, they top the dahi vada with spicy roasted peanuts. These peanuts are same as we make for dabeli. Many garnish it with thin sev or pomegranate seeds and/or coriander leaves.
There is another south Indian version of it aka thayir vada. In that yogurt is tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves. That taste much different than this North Indian dahi vada recipe or dahi bhalla recipe.
Check out more Chaat recipes
Kachori chaat // Sev puri // Ragda pattice // Sukha bhel
How to make dahi vada recipe (Step by Step Photos):
1) Wash urad dal under running cold water till water runs clear. Soak it in enough water for at least 4-5 hours.
2) During the soaking time they will get bigger in size and will get softer.
3) While dal is soaking, make yogurt mixture. Take yogurt in a bowl. Make sure to use chilled yogurt. If yogurt is not chilled them make few hours earlier and chill in the fridge.
4) Add red chili powder, roasted cumin powder and salt.
5) Whisk it till it gets smooth. Keep refrigerated till needed.
6) prepare green coriander chutney and tamarind date chutney. or you can make them a day before and keep in the refrigerator.
7) Drain the soaking water completely.
8) Add that to the blender or grinder.
9) Make smooth paste out of it. Use ½ cup of water while grinding the dal. Not more or not less, exact ½ cup water to get the perfect batter consistency.
10) Remove it to a bowl.
11) Add chopped green chilies, salt and baking soda.
12) Mix well.
13) Now using a spatula or by hand, beat the batter for good 5 minutes. This should be done very vigorously. You will get good arm exercise.
14) Beat it till batter gets light and fluffy. This is the important step to make the soft and fluffy vadas.
15) Now check the right batter consistency. Take water in a small bowl or katori. drop a teaspoon of batter into the water. It should be floating on top. If it sinks to the bottom means batter has thin consistency. Adjust it by adding couple of tablespoons of semolina (sooji or rava).
16) Now heat the oil in a pan on medium heat for frying the vadas. Once hot drop the vadas using two spoons or by hand. How I do: lightly wet your hand with water, take about 2 tablespoon of batter and carefully slide into the hot oil using your thumb.
17) Fry the vada on medium heat. Keep moving to get even cooking and browning.
18) Fry till vadas are crispy and golden brown in color. You will have to fry them in batches.
19) Remove it to a paper towel lined plate.
20) Take water in a large vessel or bowl. Add the warm vada into the water.
21) Keep frying and adding them into the water. Let it soak for 30-40 minutes.
22) You will notice that vada will change its color. Also they will increase in size slightly. See below, 4 vadas shown near the arrow, are recently fried and added. while rest of them were soaking for 30 minutes.
23) After that we need to squeeze the excess water. Very lightly press it between your plam. Do it gently otherwise vada will get break.
24) Arrange the squeezed vadas into a bowl.
25) Add yogurt, all the vada should be covered with yogurt.
26) Drizzle green coriander chutney.
27) Also drizzle tamarind date chutney.
28) Lastly sprinkle some red chili powder and roasted cumin powder. Serve the dahi vada immediately. Or you can refrigerate it.
29) In some of my chaat recipes, many readers comment that why my plate is not looking good as yours. When I plate the vada or other chaat recipes for the photo, I do it very precisely and it will take some time. You can see it below. I have added very little chutney. Of course not enough, so I added little more when I ate those. Sometimes this plating is not practical in real life. Only good for photography.
To get the best taste out of it, Make sure that yogurt and chutneys are chilled well.
Serving suggestion: Serve dahi vada as a snack or light meal. I usually make it as a weekend snack and then we have light dinner.
Dahi vada
Ingredients
For Vada:
- 1 cup Urad dal (split, skinless black gram)
- ½ cup Water for grinding
- 2 Green chili finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- a pinch or ⅛ teaspoon Baking soda
- Oil for frying the vadas
Dahi mixture:
- 2 ½ to 3 cups Plain yogurt -
- 1 teaspoon Roasted cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
- Salt to taste
For topping:
- ½ cup Green coriander chutney or as needed
- ½ cup Meethi chutney (Tamarind date chutney) or as needed
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder for garnishing
- 1 teaspoon Roasted cumin powder for garnishing
Instructions
Preparation:
- Wash urad dal under running cold water till water runs clear.
- Soak it in enough water for at least 4-5 hours.
- prepare both chutneys. or you can make them a day before and keep in the refrigerator.
Making dahi mixture:
- Take yogurt in a bowl.
- Add red chili powder, roasted cumin powder and salt.
- Whisk it till it gets smooth. Keep refrigerated till needed.
Making vada:
- Drain the soaking water completely. Add that to the blender or grinder.
- Make smooth paste out of it. Use ½ cup of water while grinding the dal. Remove it to a bowl.
- Add chopped green chilies, salt and baking soda. Mix well.
- Now using a spatula or by hand, beat the batter for good 5 minutes.
- Beat it till batter gets light and fluffy.
- Now check the right batter consistency. Take water in a small bowl or katori. drop a teaspoon of batter into the water. It should be floating on top. If it sinks to the bottom means batter has thin consistency. Adjust it by adding couple of tablespoons of semolina (sooji or rava).
- Now heat the oil in a pan on medium heat for frying the vadas.
- Once hot drop the vadas using two spoons or by hand.
- Fry the vada on medium heat. Keep moving to get even cooking and browning.
- Fry till they are crispy and golden brown in color. You will have to fry them in batches.
- Remove it to a paper towel lined plate.
- Take water in a large vessel or bowl. Add the warm vada into the water.
- Keep frying and adding them into the water. Let it soak for 30-40 minutes.
- After that we need to squeeze the excess water. Very lightly press it between your plam.
Making dahi vada recipe:
- Arrange the squeezed vadas into a bowl.
- Add yogurt, all the vada should be covered with yogurt.
- Drizzle green coriander chutney.
- Also drizzle tamarind date chutney.
- Lastly sprinkle some red chili powder and roasted cumin powder.
- Serve the immediately. Or you can refrigerate it.
Can I freeze them for later use
Fried vadas (before soaking in the water) can be frozen.
Hello kanan!! As you holi is round the corner. Their is a lot of work on holi . I want to ask if i make vadas a day before and after soaking in water i directly put them in curd and theb refrigerate and use next day when guests come . Is it ok or not. Plz do reply and thanx in advance.
Yes you can prepare the dahi vada platter ready (with yogurt, chutneys and all) a day before and store in the refrigerator. keep them covered.
Hi Kanan,
This recipe looks great. Just wanted to know how many vadas will this recipe make?i am looking to make around 22 vadas hence, wanted to know the ratio
it depends on the what size of vadas are you making.
I have made lime sized ones (as shown in photos) and I got around 28-30 vadas.
Thanks a lot... The dahi vada came very yummy... Thanku so much...
good to know this
Hi Kanan. I've once tried your recipe of Dahi Vada for an event and it turned out being really sumptuous! There'll be a prayer at my place next week and I plan out tripling the recipe. Can you please tell me whether or not I can fry the vadas the day before and then soak them on the day of the prayer? Thanks a lot Kanan, me and my mother absolutely love your recipes!
Glad to know it came out good.
yes you can prepare the day before, fry the vada, soak in water and squeeze the water. Then keep those in air tight container in the fridge.
Next day, add yogurt, chutneys and serve.
Thanks a lot Kanan. Will take into consideration. Do you have any serving suggestions concerning the Dahi Vada for lunch?
Dahi vada is light snack. I think as a lunch it is not that filling.