Name: Soft Dahi Vada
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 280 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ½ cup Split Black Gram, urad dal, soaked for 4 hours; ½ inch Ginger, chopped; 1 Green Chili Pepper, chopped; ½ tsp Cumin Seeds; ½ tsp Salt; ¼ tsp Asafoetida, divided for batter and soaking water; as needed Cooking Oil, for deep frying; 1½ cup Indian-Style Yogurt, thick curd, whisked smooth with a little sugar; 2 tbsp Tamarind Chutney, sweet; 1½ tbsp Green Chutney, spicy mint-coriander base; ½ tsp Roasted Cumin Powder; ½ tsp Red Chilli Powder; ½ tsp Chaat Masala; 1 tbsp Pomegranate Seeds, for garnish

4 hr 40 mintotal

40 min hands-on4 hr hands-off

Prep 20 min · Cook 20 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Hard
Spice: Mild

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Method

Drain the soaked urad dal completely. Grind it in a mixer with the ginger, green chilli, and cumin seeds. Use very little ice-cold water to make a thick, smooth paste.
Transfer the batter to a large bowl. Use your hand to whisk/beat the batter vigorously in one direction for 5-7 minutes. It will become extremely light, fluffy, and turn pale white.
5–7 min
Drop a tiny portion of the batter into a bowl of water. If it floats immediately, the batter is ready. Fold in the salt and a portion of the hing.
Heat oil in a kadhai on medium flame. Wet your fingers, scoop up small portions of batter, and drop them gently into the hot oil.
Fry the vadas, turning them gently, until they are evenly golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Prepare the soaking bath: In a large bowl, mix lukewarm water with a generous pinch of the remaining hing and a portion of salt.
Drop the hot, fried vadas directly into this warm hing water. Let them soak for 15-20 minutes until they swell up and change color.
15–20 min
Take each vada out and gently press it between your palms to squeeze out the excess water without breaking it.
Arrange the squeezed vadas in a serving dish. Pour generous amounts of chilled, sweetened yogurt completely covering the vadas.
Drizzle the sweet tamarind chutney and spicy green chutney over the top. Sprinkle the roasted cumin powder, red chilli powder, chaat masala, and pomegranate seeds.
Serve chilled.

How to tell it's done

The vada should be incredibly soft, sponge-like, and porous, melting instantly in the mouth along with the thick, creamy yogurt.

Getting it right

Tip

Beating the batter by hand is non-negotiable for cloud-like softness. Soaking them in warm water removes excess oil and makes them absorb the yogurt perfectly.

What to serve it with

A must-have for Holi and Diwali parties. Best served chilled.

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Ingredients