Dahi Wada/Vada

    


So, here goes the first post on my blog its an excellent evening snack/party dish. I remember someone asking me once if it was a south Indian or a north Indian dish? Since its a vada based dish it could be south Indian but it comes under the chaat category which typically in north Indian. Anyway who cares as long as it tastes amazing!

Dahi Vada
Serves 2-4 (Depending in your appetite!!!)

Urad ki dal/mash ki dal (the white one)- 1 cup
Yoghurt (can use fat free ) - 4 cups
Green chillies -2
Zeera /Cumin -2 table spoons
Rye - 1 tea spoon
Dried red chillies -2-3
Fresh coriander - 1/2 cup
Mint leaves -4-6
Red chilli powder - to taste
Chat masala - 1 tbl spoon
Sugar - to taste
Salt - to taste
Black pepper - to taste
Oil


Vadas

• Soak the urad dal in water for an hour. Really don't need a longer soak because we want to retain the coarseness to a certain extent.
• Take the drained urad dal with equal amount of water in a mixer/grinder/food processor. Add salt, 1tsp red chilli powder, mintleaves , half the coriander, green chillies and 2 tsps Zeera .
• Grind the mixture adding additional water till a thick falling consistency is achieved . Be careful to not make the mixture runny.
• In a kadai heat oil ,when done make vadas by using a deep table spoon or one of those spoons used to serve dal .
• Reduce the flame to medium and turn it up only at the end to make the vadas brown.
• Lay out on tissue paper to soak out the oil

Dahi

• Take the yoghurt in a bowl , add salt and sugar and whisk it with a spoon till a smooth consistency is achieved you should not need any extra water.
• Add chat masala , pepper,red chilli powder

Setting the dish

• The best dish to serve would be a flattened glass baking dish or a casserole
• Add half the yoghurt to the dish
• Take a small bowl or a plastic storage box and fill in with water
• Add the vadas few at a time in to the water , yes you heard it right into the water
• Leave it in the water just till the crispiness is gone
• Flatten the vada out with your two palms
• Lay in out in the yoghurt dish
• Lay out the rest of the vadas and add yoghurt between layers save some for the end
• At the end add the remaining yoghurt

Tadka /baghar / tempering

• After the whole dish is set take a small pan and add 1 table spoon of oil
• When its hot add the following in this order few seconds apart - dried redchillies followed by rye seeds finally the remaining zeera
• Once its fried add it over the dahi vada and spread
• Sprinkle the rest of the coriander
• Serve immediately with tamarind chutney