Dahi Vada

Last year, as part of the Navratri special recipes, I blogged crispy Vada recipe (Garelu) that are light and fluffy on the inside with a crisp exterior. This Diwali, I have for you, dear readers, Andhra style Dahi Vada aka Perugu Garelu (Aavadalu). They differ from North Indian style Dahi Vada in terms of the tempering and the use of green chilies and ginger.

Its the same process as one would prepare Dahi Vada or Tamil style Thayir Vada. Prepare the vadas, soak in water/buttermilk for a few minutes and pour a savory yogurt sauce (seasoned with spices), over the vadas. You can serve them at room temperature or chilled. Dahi Vada recipe is a must make snack during festivals like Deepavali, at our home. You can serve it for breakfast or as a cold starter/appetizer. Absolute melt in the mouth festive fare

Dahi Vada Recipe

Prep time: 30 min

Cook time: 15 min

Yield: 4

Main Ingredients: Black gram dal Yogurt

Ingredients

• Whole urad dal - 1 cup (minnappa gullu)
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying
• Yogurt - 2 cups, thick curd
• Green chilies - 2, finely minced
• Ginger - 1", finely minced
• Carrot - 2 tbsps (grated)
• Fresh coriander leaves - 2 tbsps, finely minced
• For tempering/tadka/poppu:
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilies - 2
• Split gram dal - 1 tsp (minapappu)
• Asafoetida - pinch (inguva/poppu)
• Curry leaves - 1 sprig
• Oil - 2 tsps
• Bhoondi-as per your taste

Method

1. Soak whole black gram dal in water for 2 hours.
2. Strain the water and grind the dal to a paste sprinkling very little water. Use small portions of dal to grind batch wise as its easier to grind into a soft paste. Add salt and beat till fluffy.
3. Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel and heat till piping hot. Reduce flame to medium.
4. Wet your hands with water, take a lemon-sized ball of batter and flatten it into a vada on a greased sheet or banana leaf. Make a hole in the center of the vada so that it cooks evenly all over.
5. Slowly drop the vada into the hot oil and fry it on both sides on medium flame to a golden brown color. Deep fry 3-4 vadas per batch depending on the size of the vessel.
6. Remove the vadas onto a bowl of water. Allow them to soak for 3 minutes.
7. While the vadas are soaking, prepare the yogurt/curd mixture. Heat 2 tsps oil in a vessel, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter. Add cumin seeds and split gram dal and allow them to turn lightly brown. Add red chilies, green chilies, ginger, asafoetida and curry leaves and mix for a few seconds. Turn off heat.
8. Beat the thickened curd/yogurt by adding about three fourth cup of water. Add salt to taste and pour the tempering of spices over the beaten yogurt and mix. Keep aside.
9. Remove the vadas from the water and place on a serving plate. Pour the tempering yogurt sauce over the vadas. Garnish with coriander leaves and grated carrot & bhoondi.
10. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Tips

• If urad dal or whole skinned black gram dal is soaked for over 8 hours, the vadas absorb less oil and are tastier than the vadas prepared from dal which is soaked for only 2 hours.
• You can soak the deep fried vadas in water.
• You can make a paste of green chilies and ginger and mix with the beaten curd.