Dahi Vada

Ingredients

• 1 cup Urad dal (split black gram), soaked for 6 hours
• 0.25 cup Moong dal (yellow lentils), soaked for 6 hours
• 1 inch Fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 2 pieces Green chilies, finely chopped
• 3 cups Greek yogurt or thick curd, whisked
• 2 teaspoons Roasted cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• 0.5 teaspoon Black salt (Kala Namak)
• 0.5 cup Tamarind date chutney
• 0.25 cup Green coriander chutney
• 0.25 teaspoon Asafoetida (Hing)
• 500 ml Oil for deep frying

Instructions

1. 1

   Drain the soaked lentils and grind them into a very smooth, thick paste using minimal water (no more than 2-3 tablespoons).

2. 2

   Transfer the batter to a large bowl and aerate it by whisking vigorously in one direction for 10 minutes until it becomes light, fluffy, and doubles in volume.

3. 3

   Perform the 'float test' by dropping a small ball of batter into a glass of water; if it floats, the batter is ready for frying.

4. 4

   Fold in the chopped ginger, green chilies, and a pinch of salt gently into the aerated batter without deflating the air bubbles.

5. 5

   Heat oil to medium and drop spoonfuls of batter to fry until they are golden brown and cooked through, then immediately drop the hot vadas into a bowl of lukewarm water mixed with hing and salt.

6. 6

   Let the vadas soak for 20 minutes, then gently press each one between your palms to squeeze out excess water without breaking the structure.

7. 7

   Whisk the yogurt with a little sugar and salt until silky smooth, then arrange the squeezed vadas on a platter and generous cover them with the yogurt.

8. 8

   Garnish with tamarind chutney, green chutney, roasted cumin powder, red chili powder, and black salt before serving chilled.