Dahi vada step-by-step recipe with photos.
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About this recipe
Dahi vada is a very popular snack made with split black gram fritters (urad dal vada) that are dunked in a creamy and spicy yogurt mix. Also called mosaru vade, this dish originates from the South Indian state, Karnataka, and is popular all over India. They are great as chaat or snack. These yogurt-soaked vadas can be also served for an indulgent breakfast or as a side dish at lunch/dinner too.
These soft and pillowy yogurt-soaked lentil fritters are dressed depending on the regional variations. Dahi vada is quite different in North and South India. While the basic method of making the dish is almost the same, there is a big difference in the way they are served.
The North Indian version is called dahi bhalla and is served as a chaat which is topped with sweet chutney, green chuntney, and powdered spices. The South Indian version is simpler where the yogurt in which the vada is soaked is mixed with a tempering (seasoning/tadka).
The taste of yogurt also varies - the North Indian version has the yogurt sweetened while in the South Indian version, the yogurt is tangy and is not sweetened. My recipe here is the South Indian dahi vada. It is called mosaru vade in Kannada, thayir vadai in Tamil, and peragu vada in Telugu.
Ingredients
Urad dal: They are also called black gram, and are used to make the fritters/vada.
Yogurt: Whisked plain yogurt is used to make them.
Spices: I season the yogurt with mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
Other ingredients: I flavor the lentil mixture with green chili, ginger, curry leaves, and coconut.
To serve: Grated carrots, cilantro, and khara boondi.
This dish is made in two steps – first, the vadas or fritters (which taste great by themselves too) are made and next, they are soaked in a yogurt mix. For best results, the vadas are soaked in the yogurt mix for a few hours. This lets the vadas soak up the yogurt. The result is absolutely tasty, melt-in-mouth, flavorful dahi vade.
Step-by-step instructions
1. Soak and grind the urad dal with minimal water. Whisk the dal batter well to aerate it.
2. Drop some batter in water to check if it is ready. The batter must float.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients (chopped coconut, green chili, curry leaves, ginger paste, and salt) to the batter and mix well.
4. Take small portions of batter (approximately 2 tbsp) and gently drop it into the oil.
5. Fry the vadas on medium flame until they are golden brown. Drain on a paper towel.
6. Soak the vadas in lukewarm water for 5-6 minutes. Gently squeeze the vada to remove excess water.
7. Add salt to the yogurt and whisk it until it is smooth and there are no lumps. Heat oil in a small fry pan and add mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add cumin seeds, curry leaves, and ginger. Add the tempering to the yogurt and mix well.
8. Add soaked vadas and mix gently. Let it sit for a few minutes before serving.
Useful tips
Grind the urad dal with as little water as possible. The batter has to be very thick with very less water content.
Aerate the batter well by whisking it for at least 5 minutes. A well-aerated batter gives light and fluffy vadas.
To check if the batter is ready, drop a small amount of batter in water. If it floats, the batter is ready.
Always fry the vada on medium heat. Frying them on low heat will make them soak too much oil and if you fry them on high heat, they will not cook completely.
Use lukewarm water to dip the vadas.
Don't forget to pair it with a strong cup of South Indian filter coffee for an indulgent evening snack.
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Pro-tip: Fry a large batch of vadas, portion, and freeze them. They are very handy as a snack or for lunch boxes.
Storing tips
Assembled dahi vada can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. If you are planning to freeze it, do not soak the vada in the yogurt mix. To freeze the vada, cool the fried vada completely, and place them in a freezer-safe bag. Remove as much air as possible and seal them. They can be frozen for up to three months.
To thaw them, boil water in a saucepan and turn off the flame. Place the frozen vada in it and cover it. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then put them in the yogurt mixture.
If you want to enjoy the vadas without yogurt, reheat them in an air fryer or oven. Serve them with a dip or sauce of your choice.
Juicy vadas soaked up in spicy yogurt are absolutely comforting. It is a perfect snack/side dish during summer. Here goes my recipe... Do try it, it is absolutely delicious!
Bonus
These dahi vadas are:
- easy to make,
- soft and melt-in-mouth,
- great as a snack, appetizer, or breakfast food.
Recipe card
Dahi Vada
Ingredients
For the vada:
- 1 cup split black gram urad dal
- 3 tablespoon coconut sliced
- 2-3 green chili (or serrano pepper) or as per taste
- 5-6 curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- Salt to taste
- Oil for deep frying
For the yogurt mix:
- 3 cups yogurt
- 1 teaspoon oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 4-5 curry leaves
- 1 inch ginger finely sliced
- Salt to taste
For serving:
- 1 small carrot grated
- 2 tablespoon cilantro
- Boondi or sev
Instructions
Make the batter:
- Soak the urad dal in water overnight (or for a minimum of 4-5 hours).
- Once the urad dal is soaked, rinse it thoroughly and drain all the water.
- Grind into a smooth batter using very little water (the batter needs to be thick and should have as less water as possible).
- Whisk the batter to make it fluffy. To check if your batter is ready, add a small drop of batter into a bowl of water. If it floats, the batter is ready for vadas
- Finely chop coconut slices, green chili, and curry leaves.
- Mix the chopped coconut, green chili, curry leaves, ginger paste, and salt into the batter.
Fry the vadas:
- Heat oil in a frying pan or kadhai. Take small portions of batter (approximately 2 tbsp) and gently drop it into the oil.
- Fry the vadas on medium flame until they are golden brown.
- Drain on a paper towel.
Soak them in yogurt:
- Add salt to the yogurt and whisk it until it is smooth and there are no lumps.
- Heat oil in a small fry pan and add mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add cumin seeds, curry leaves and ginger. Saute for a few seconds.
- Pour the prepared tempering into the yogurt and mix well.
- Soak the vadas in lukewarm water for 5-6 minutes. Gently squeeze the vada to remove excess water.
- Drop them into the yogurt mix and mix gently. Let it sit for a few minutes.
Serve:
- Place the vadas in a serving bowl.
- Top with some yogurt mixture.
- Garnish with grated carrot, cilantro, and boondi.
- Serve immediately.
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