Dahi Vada / Thair vadai / Curd Vada

Ingredients

For Vada

• 1 cup Split Black Gram
• 2 Green Chilies Finely Chopped or Crushed
• ½ Inch Ginger Grated or Crushed
• Salt
• Oil for Deep Frying

Other Ingredients

• 2 cup Yogurt/Curd
• Salt
• 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds Powder
• ½ tsp Black Salt
• 2-3 tbsp Green Chutney
• 2-3 tbsp Tamarind Chutney
• Chopped Coriander Leaves for Garnishing
• Fine Chaat Sev

Method

1. Wash the dal for 2-3 times, then soak it in required water (3-4 cups) for 4-5 hrs or overnight.
2. Drain the water. Add dal into a mixer or blender jar and blend it till smooth creamy texture. add little water as needed while grinding.
3. Remove it into the mixing bowl. Add salt, crushed ginger-green chili, mix it well and whip it using spatula for 2-3 minutes till the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Add 1-2 tbsp water if needed.
4. Heat the oil for deep frying in a kadhai or deep pan. Drop the 1 tbsp batter into the hot oil using a spoon or your fingers, fry 3-4 vadas (like pakoras) at a time till all sides become golden brown, then remove it on the absorbent paper.
5. Make more vadas using remaining batter and keep aside.
6. Mix the yogurt and little salt into a bowl, whisk it using a spoon, add ½ cup of water, mix it well and make a smooth batter (consistency should be like thick buttermilk), keep aside.
7. Add warm water in to a big bowl, then soak the fried vadas into the water for 10-15 mins.
8. Now take each vada one by one between your hand palms and squeeze out all the excess water gently and keep aside.
9. In a small bowl add red chili powder, cumin seeds powder, black salt and mix it well, keep aside for garnishing.
10. Vadas are ready for serving. Now arrange 3-4 vadas in the serving plate, pour the yogurt mixture as required over it, top it with green chutney and tamarind chutney as per taste.
11. Sprinkle few pinches of the prepared red chili powder mixture over it, then garnish it with chopped coriander leaves, sev and some pomegranates arils.
12. Use same method to make more Dahi Vada plates and enjoy this mouthwatering delicacy of North India.