Dahi Vada

Hello everyone..  Back with the Dahi vada recipe.  This is a pretty simple and a delicious recipe.  Lentil balls which are deep fried, then soaked in warm water and then finally immersed in the mildly sweetened curds with a drizzle of green coriander chutney and date n tamarind chutney.  When we were in Lucknow, we used to enjoy going to Hazratganj to have these yummy dahi vada's.  Though of course, every place has their unique style n ways of making this yum dahi vada's.  So here's how I made this. 

INGREDIENTS:

    1 cup = 200 ml

Black gram lentil/ urad dal	1/2 cup
Salt	3/4 to 1 tsp ( for vada's n a pinch curds)
Oil	For frying
Curds	1 cup (whisked)
Sugar	1 1/2 tbsp
Roasted cumin powder	1/2 tsp
Chilli powder	1/2 tsp
Green coriander chutney	1 tbsp or as per taste
Date n tamarind chutney	1 tbsp or as per taste
Warm water	To soak the vada's

METHOD:

1.       Wash well and soak the urad dal/lentils for for 3 1/2 hrs with enough water.  Water should be well over the urad dal.
2.       Grind the lentils to a very fine paste, with very little water.  Transfer the batter to a clean bowl.
3.       Whisk the batter with a balloon whisk or a fork for a good 8-10 mins.  This makes the batter light n fluffy.  Add salt and mix well.
4.       Heat oil in a pan n once it is hot, lower the flame to medium.  Wet your fingers slightly and take the batter and drop small balls into the oil.   
5.       Fry them, till they are golden brown, ensuring that you fry them on low medium flame.
6.       In another bowl, add lukewarm water.  Once the vada's are fried add them directly to the warm water and let them soak in the water for about 20 minutes.
7.       While they are soaking in the water, prepare the curds.  In a bowl add the curds and whisk well.  Add in the sugar n mix till the sugar dissolves.  Add a pinch of salt n mix again.  Keep it in the fridge to chill.
8.       After 20 minutes, remove them (the vadas) and squeeze out the excess water very carefully.  You don't want to break the vada's.
9.       Transfer the vada's to the prepared curds and sprinkle over the cumin powder, chilli powder and drizzle the coriander and date n tamarind chutney.
10.   Refrigerate the dahi vada.  Enjoy the chilled dahi vada's.

NOTES:

 

1.       I got 20 vada's with the above mentioned recipe, this size.  I would say these serve 5-6 people.  Now that surely depends how many you would like to have.  Believe me, it's really addictive, so you could well say 3 to 4 people too.
2.       Frying them on low to medium flame is absolutely important as they need to cook well inside too.  Frying on high flame will make the vada's go brown from the outside and remain uncooked from the inside.
3.       Do not soak more than the time mentioned as it will result in oily vada's.
4.       Adjust the sugar according to your taste in the curds.
5.       You could add cashew pieces and raisins in your batter.  That's how we used to get the ones we had in Lucknow.