Dahi vada step-by-step recipe with photos.
Dahi vada/mosaru vade is a delicious dish where split black gram fritters are dunked in a spicy yogurt mix. They are great as chaat or snack and can be served as a side dish at lunch/dinner too.
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What is dahi vada
'Dahi' means yogurt and 'vada' means lentil fritter. This delicious dish is prepared by making split black gram (urad dal) fritters and dunking them in a creamy and spicy yogurt mix. The vada can either be shaped like donuts or small balls.
Dahi vada is soft pillowy lentil fritters that are soaked up in creamy yogurt and are dressed depending on the regional variations.
Variations
Dahi vada is quite different in North and South India. While the basic method of making the dish is almost the same, there is a big difference in the way they are served. The North Indian version is called dahi bhalla and is served as a chaat which is topped with sweet and spicy chutneys, and powdered spices. The South Indian version is simpler where the yogurt in which the vada is soaked is mixed with a tempering (seasoning).
The taste of yogurt also varies - the North Indian version has the yogurt sweetened while in the South Indian version, the yogurt is tangy and is not sweetened.
My recipe here is the south Indian dahi vada. It is called mosaru vade in Kannada, thayir vadai in Tamil, and peragu vada in Telugu.
Ingredients
Urad dal: They are also called black gram, and are used to make the fritters/vada.
Yogurt: Whisked plain yogurt is used in making dahi vada.
Oil: I use sunflower oil to deep-fry the fritters/vada
Spices: I season the yogurt with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, ginger, and curry leaves.
Other ingredients: I flavour the lentil mixture with green chilli, ginger, curry leaves, and coconut.
To serve: I serve dahi vada topped with grated carrots, coriander leaves and khara boondi
Key steps
This dish is made in two steps – first, the vadas or fritters (which tastes great by themselves too) are made and next, they are soaked in a yogurt mix. For best results, the vadas are soaked in the yogurt mix for a few hours. This lets the vadas soak up the yogurt. The result is absolutely tasty, melt-in-mouth, flavourful dahi vada.
Tips for making softest dahi vada
Grind the urad dal with as little water as possible. The batter has to be very thick with very less water content.
Aerate the batter well by whisking it for at least 5 minutes. A well-aerated batter gives light and fluffy vadas.
To check if the batter is ready, drop a small bit in water. If it floats, the batter is ready.
Always fry the vada in medium heat. Frying them on low heat will make them soak too much oil and if you fry them on high heat, they will not cook completely.
Use lukewarm water to dip the vadas.
Storing dahi vada
Assembled dahi vada can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. If you are planning to freeze it, do not soak the vada in the yogurt mix. To freeze the vada, cool the fried vada completely, and place them in a freezer-safe bag. Remove as much air as possible and seal them. They can be frozen for up to three months.
Pro-tip: Fry a large batch of vadas, portion, and freeze them. They are very handy as a snack or for lunchboxes.
To thaw them, boil water in a saucepan and turn off the flame. Place the frozen vada in it and cover. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then put them in they yogurt mixture.
If you want to enjoy the vadas without yogurt, reheat them in an air fryer or oven. Serve them with a dip or sauce of your choice.
Juicy vadas soaked up in spicy yogurt is absolutely comforting. Even though it is deep-fried, it is a perfect snack/side dish during summer. Here goes my recipe... Do try it, it is absolutely delicious!
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Dahi vada step-by-step recipe with photos
1. Whisk the dal batter well
2. Drop some batter in water to check if it is ready
3. Add rest of the ingredients to the batter and mix well
4. Deep fry in hot oil
5. Fry the vadas until golden brown
6. Soak the vadas in luke warm water
7. Whisk yogurt with salt
8. Add tempering to the yogurt and mix well
9. Add soaked vadas and mix gently
Recipe card
Dahi vada/mosaru vade
Ingredients
FOR THE VADA:
FOR THE YOGURT MIX:
Instructions
TO MAKE VADA:
TO MAKE DAHI VADA:
Notes
Watch dahi vada web story here.
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