for making vada – makes about 35-38 small vadas
- 1 cup urad dal
- 1 green chili – chopped (hari mirch)
- ½ inch ginger – chopped (adrak)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 3 tablespoon water for grinding the batter or as required
- ½ tablespoon raisins (kishmish)
- 8 to 9 cashews – chopped (kaju)
- salt as required – i added ⅔ teaspoon rock salt (sendha namak)
other ingredients for dahi vada
- 2 to 2.25 cups curd (yogurt or dahi) – i made homemade curd made from 500 ml organic milk
- ½ to 1 teaspoon chaat masala or as required
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili powder or as required (lal mirch powder)
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder (bhuna jeera powder)
- black salt or regular salt as required
for tamarind chutney:
- ½ cup seedless tamarind – tightly packed (imli)
- 1.75 cups water
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder (saunth)
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder)
- 7 to 8 tablespoon jaggery or as required – adjust as per your taste
- rock salt or black salt or regular salt as required
- 1 teaspoon oil
for green chutney
- 2 cups coriander leaves (dhania patta)
- 1 or 1.5 teaspoon anardana (dry pomegranate seeds) OR ½ to 1 teaspoon amchur powder (dry mango powder)
- ½ tablespoon chopped onion (optional)
- 1 or 2 garlic cloves (lahsun)
- salt as required
- water as required
HOW TO MAKE DAHI VADA RECIPE
making sweet chutney for dahi vada
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soak tamarind in water overnight or for 4-5 hours in a small bowl or pan.
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with your hands, squeeze the pulp from the tamarind in the same bowl or pan. strain the pulp and keep aside.
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heat oil in a small pan. lower the flame & add cumin seeds and let them crackle.
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add ginger powder, red chili powder, asafoetida.
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stir and add the strained tamarind pulp. cook for 2-3 mins.
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add the jaggery and salt and cook for 4-5 mins more. the mixture would thicken. let the saunth chutney mixture cool.
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when cooled, store the saunth chutney in an air-tight dry jar or container.
making green chutney
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grind all the ingredients mentioned under the green chutney list with little water.
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remove and keep aside in a small bowl.
making batter for dahi vada
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first pick and then rinse the lentils for 3-4 times in water.
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soak the lentils in enough water overnight or for 4-5 hours.
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drain and add the lentils in a wet grinder.
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also add chopped green chilies, chopped ginger, cumin seeds and asafoetida.
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add water in intervals and grind to a smooth batter.
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i used about 3 tbsp of water added in intervals while grinding the lentils.
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take the ground batter in a bowl. stir the batter briskly for a couple of minutes. this makes the batter more light and fluffy.
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add the raisins and chopped cashews along with salt. stir and keep aside.
frying vada
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heat a kadai or pan with oil for deep frying.
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when the oil becomes medium hot, add spoonfuls of the batter in the oil.
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don’t be in a hurry to turn them.
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when you see the vadas becoming pale golden from the base and sides, you can turn them.
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fry the vadas till they become golden and crisp. drain on paper towels.
making dahi vada
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in another bowl take water.
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and add the vadas to the water.
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soak them for 18-20 minutes.
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take each vada and flatten and press between your palms to remove excess water.
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place these vadas in the serving bowl.
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whisk yogurt till smooth. pour the yogurt over the vadas.
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top with the green chutney and tamarind chutney as required.
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sprinkle the red chili powder, roasted cumin powder, chaat masala and black salt.
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garnish dahi vada with chopped coriander leaves.
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serve dahi vada immediately or refrigerate and serve later.