MasterChef Recipe: How To Make The Perfect 'Dahi Vada'?

SPONSORED: Dahi Vada is one of the most popular snacks in India and is also a festival favourite. But then, you have to get the recipe right for that perfect plate of Dahi Vada.

This recipe is popular all over India. Different communities have their own variations to this recipe. For example, some add sugar to the curds, whilst others temper it with mustard and curry leaves. 

The Marwaris use moong dal instead of urad dal to make the vadas. Dahi vadas can be eaten as a snack or as part of the meal. The vadas can be made a day in advance and refrigerated. You have only to soak them in hot water and drain just before serving.

Here is the procedure for making:

Ingredients

• Urad dal – 1 cup (250 grams) (soaked)
• Coconut – 1/4 cup (grated)
• Green coriander – 3 to 4 tbsp
• Cashews – 7 to 8 (finely chopped)
• Black pepper – 1 tsp (crushed)
• Ginger – 1 inch (minced)
• Asafoetida – 1 inch (minced)
• Oil – for frying vada
• Roasted Cumin powder – 1 tbsp
• Black salt – more than 1 tbsp
• Red chilly powder – 1 tbsp
• Mint powder – 1 tbsp
• Green coriander chutney
• Mango powder sweet chutney

- Serves for 4 persons
- Time – 90 minutes

Method

• Clean the urad dala and wash thoroughly before soaking it in water for 3 to 4 hours. Drain out excess water from the soaked dal and grind it coarsely with very little or no water in a grinder.
• Take grounded dal in a big bowl and whisk it thoroughly with your hands.
• Prepare the stuffing to fill in the vadas. For this take grated coconut, finely chopped cashews, crushed black pepper, some green coriander and finely chopped ginger in a bowl. Mix everything really well.
• For drenching dahi vadas in water, take some water in any vessel and add asafoetida and salt into it. Mix well.
• Preheat oil in a wok for frying vadas.
• For making vadas, take a polythene sheet with 4*6” dimensions. Place it over a board or rolling plate. Wet the polythene with some water.
• Now with help of your fingers, make a lump from dal mixture and place it over the polythene sheet. Flatten the dal with your hand and place some stuffing over it. Now make another lump from the dal, flatten it slightly and place it over the stuffing, sealing it nicely. 
• Press the dahi vada with your hands, flatten and then give it a round shape. Lift up the vada from polythene sheet very gently and place it in wok for frying.
• Now fry it on a low-medium flame until it gets golden brown in colour from both sides. Take out the fried vadas and place them in water with asafoetida and salt.
• Pour curd over them. Now sprinkle some roasted cumin powder, red chilly powder, black salt, mint powder, green coriander chutney and sweet chutney. Serve these tantalizing dahi vadas and enjoy eating.

Tips

1. Ground the dal with very less or no water. Whisk the dal until it gets fluffy. Take dal in a plate and whisk it with your hands.
2. If you wish to serve the dahi vadas immediately, then soak them in water with salt-asafoetida, the moment you take them out from the wok. 
3. If you wish to serve them later in any party, then soak them in lukewarm water with salt-asafoetida 2 hours prior using. After 1 hour dahi vadas turn puffy and can be served.