Whole Grain Dahi Vada with Homemade Yogurt
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Appetizer
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 2 cups - whole black gram dal (urad dal)
  • 3 cups - homemade curd. you can use whole or 2%.
  • Pink Himalayan salt
  • 3-3½ tbsp healthy oils as coconut
  • 2-3 Green Thai chilies or red chilies or chili powder
  • ½ tsp - mustard seeds
  • ½ tsp - jeera
  • ½ tsp - dried ginger powder
  • 5-8 curry leaves
  • ¼th tsp - turmeric powder
  • Chopped cilantro
Instructions
  1. This is South Indian style dahi vada. There are a few variations depending on the region. Feel free to customize it as you want.
  2. Soak urad dal for 2-4 hours.
  3. Drain water into a bowl. Grind dal in a wet grinder or regular blender. Grind with at least amount of water.
  4. If you need water, add little by little at a time. Add salt. Grind again to mix. Remove into a bowl.
  5. Take curd into a flat bottomed bow. Flat bottom can hold more vadas in a row and don't break while serving. Whisk well. If the curd isn't in buttermilk consistency, add little by little water at a time. Make it buttermilk consistency.
  6. Add oil to a small kadai. Heat to medium.
  7. Add mustard seeds, wait till they splutter. Now add jeera. Cook till golden brown.
  8. Now add curry leaves, chilies (If using). After they stop spluttering, add turmeric powder, ginger powder, chili powder (if using).
  9. Turn off flame, add to curd. Mix well.
  10. Now add oil to another pot. Oil should be enough to dip the vadas completely. Heat to medium heat.
  11. Take vada batter, make flat rounds on a cotton cloth or zip loc. I make in hand. I wet my hands first. Water on your hands makes batter slip in oil easily. Take batter into the hand, flatten it and make a hole with thumb and drop in hot oil. I make with a single hand and use another hand to take out of oil. If you are not comfortable doing this, lay a wet cotton cloth, make few vadas and drop in oil in a single batch.
  12. Make sure oil is on medium heat. Fry vadas on medium heat to ensure they are fried inside too. Fry vadas on both sides till golden brown. Remove and drop in water. Dip them all the way in water for 30-45 seconds. Then place in prepared yogurt.
  13. Repeat with all vadas. Stack vadas carefully on top of each other so that they are easy to serve with a spoon without breaking. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
  14. Let vadas soak for at least 2 hours. Soaking them gives the moistest, juicy dahi vada.
Recipe by Ujwala's Delicacies at https://www.ujwalasdelicacies.com/whole-grain-dahi-vada-with-homemade-yogurt/