Instant Dahi Vada

5 from 3 votes

An easy version of Instant Dahi Vada; these dumplings are made with urad flour and dunked in sweet yogurt with flavorful chutneys and toppings.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 213kcal

Author: Smruti

Ingredients

For the Vada

1 cup Urad Dal Flour
2 tablespoon Rice Flour
⅛ teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 inch Ginger (grated)
1-2 Green Chili (minced)
1 teaspoon Salt
¾ cup Water

For the Dahi Vada

2 cups Thick yogurt
3-4 tablespoon Sugar
½ teaspoon Salt
3-4 tablespoon Sweet Dates tamarind Chutney
2-3 tablespoon Cilantro chutney
1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
1 teaspoon Dhania Jeera Powder
3-4 stalks Cilantro

Instructions

In the bowl of the stand mixer add Urad Dal Flour, Rice Flour, Baking Soda, Cumin Seeds, Ginger, Green Chili and Salt.
Start with ¼ cup water and mix it with a balloon attachment to get a smooth batter. Keep adding water till you get a thick batter. You would need between ¼ and ½ cup water depending on the brand of flours used. Beat well til the batter is fluffy.
Then heat a paniyaram stand. Add half a teaspoon of oil in each cavity and drop a tablespoon of the batter.
Cook on medium flame for 4-5 minutes, covered. By then the bottom would be brown. Flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Once the vada is golden brown, remove and set aside.
Take yogurt in a bowl.
Add a pinch of cumin powder and salt, sugar as required.
Mix well till smooth and refrigerate the yogurt for the flavors to soak in.
Take a bowl of water. Dip the prepared vadas in water for 1 minute.
Remove and squeeze out the water.
Dip the vadas in the prepared yogurt and place them in a plate.
Top with more flavored yogurt and green cilantro chutney.
Then add sweet dates tamarind chutney and sprinkle chili powder, ground cumin and salt.
Add some chopped cilantro and boondi. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate before digging in.

Video

Notes

The recipe uses urad dal flour for an instant version. I like to use just this flour but a combination of urad and moong dal can be used too.

We use baking soda to fluff the batter. However, replace with ENO if desired.

the easiest way to aerate the batter is to use the Kitchen Aid with a balloon whisk. It makes the batter light and does not require any effort. However, a whisk or hand blender works well too.

I like to make the vada in a paniyaram stand but the same batter works for fried vadas too.

The vadas can be prepared in advance and refrigerated for 2-3 days. Moreover, it can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Prepare the dahi vada in advance and refrigerate. They taste best when they are cold.

While I serve these with dahi and toppings; the same vada is perfect to enjoy with Sambar or Rasam too.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates using an automated calculator. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition