Dahi Vada (Dahi Bhalla) is a popular Indian dish. Deep-fried lentil fritters are doused in a sweetened yogurt, topped with chutneys and finished with a sprinkle of masala.
Throughout India, dahi vada is considered as a snack or chaat dish but in Gujarat dahi vada is often served as farsan as part of a Gujarati thali. In Gujarati dahi vada, the yogurt is sweetened and are often made smaller to fit in a thali.
My Mum tends to prepare this recipe during spring and summer but it can be prepared for parties or any other festivals such as Diwali, Holi, Raksha Bandhan or Sitla Satam.
Other chaat recipes you can serve at parties are my samosa chaat, bhel puri and dhokla chaat.
This recipe makes the softest melt in your mouth vada and you can expect a riot of flavour thanks to the tangy toppings.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.
The vada are made using dhuli urad dal, dhuli moong dal and masoor dal. The combination of both give spongy vada. Green chillies and ginger add a little heat and flavour.
There are a few tricks to get the dahi vada soft and spongy. You can achieve this without adding any baking soda, fruit salt or without soaking the vada in water. I find that soaking vada in water leads to runny yogurt and the taste is not as great.
To prepare the yogurt, sweeten it with yogurt. You then need a tangy mix of vibrant green chutney and imli chutney. Sprinkle over a masala made with chaat masala, roasted cumin seeds powder and red chilli powder.
Finish with pomegranate seeds, coriander leaves and masala boondi. Optionally add sev too which adds crunch.
Tips
- To get a softer vada to make sure you soak the lentils at least 8-10 hours.
- Once lentils ground, beat the mixture vigorously for 5-6 minutes just before you fry the fritters.
- Immediately douse the cooked vada into a thin yogurt mix. This will help the vada to soak the moisture and double in size.
Storage
Store leftover dahi vada and keep refridgerated for up to 2 days.
Dahi vada taste best and have the best texture immediately after assembling.
I do not recommend making the vada in advance as they may become hard, so deep-fry just before assembly.
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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📖 Recipe
Dahi Vada
Equipment
- Grinder
- Frying pan
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
Vada
- 2 cup dhuli white urad daal husked split black gram
- ⅛ cup dhuli yellow moong daal split yellow moong daal
- 2 tablespoon masoor daal split red lentils
- 4-5 green chillies
- 2 tablespoon ginger
- pinch hing asafoetida
- oil for deep frying
- salt to taste
Toppings
- 5 cup full fat yogurt whisked
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoon roasted cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoon red chilli powder
- 2 tablespoon chaat masala
- 1 teaspoon black salt sanchar powder/kala namak
- 1 cup imli chutney
- ½ cup green coriander and mint chutney
- 4 tablespoon coriander leaves fresh
- 4 tablespoon pomegranate arils
- 4 tablespoon fried boondi or sev Optional (Spicy Gram flour pearls)
Instructions
Prepare the lentils
- Clean and rinse the dals with clean water and soak in cold water for at least 8-10 hours or overnight.
- Discard the soaked water and once again rinse the lentils with clean water.
- Place the drained soaked lentils, green chillies, ginger, hing and salt into blender.
- Grind until you get a texture like coarse semolina (not smooth). You may need a little water to grind the lentils but try without.
- In a bowl, mix red chilli powder, chaat masala and roasted cumin powder. Set aside.
- Take half the yogurt in a mixing bowl add 2 cups water, add two tablespoons of sugar and salt to taste. Whisk well, pour and leave it in a wide plate or tray.
Fry the vadas
- Heat the oil in a kadai or frying pan on medium heat.
- Take a handful of mixture in a bowl and beat the mixture vigorously for a couple of minutes with your hand, you’ll see the batter rising (almost double in size).
- Collect some vada batter with your fingers or in small spoon or cookie scoop and carefully drop into the hot oil. Keep the heat at a medium.
- Fry the vada until golden.
- Remove the vada with a slotted spoon and add them straight away into the thinner yogurt mixture.
- Make sure all the vada are coated in the yogurt.
- Cover the plate and leave it for at least half an hour to one hour.
- In this process, vada will soak all the yogurt and make them even softer.
Assemble and Serving
- Once you are ready to serve dahi vada, add remaining sugar and some water or milk to the remaining yogurt and mix well.
- Carefully arrange soaked vada in a serving plate, and spoon sweetened yogurt on top. Ensuring vadas doused in the yogurt.
- Drizzle over the chutneys, masala powder mixture, fresh coriander, pomegranate seeds and boondi.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Share on Facebook Pin This Recipe Share by TextNote – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content, but the recipe remains the same. First published in July 2018.
Hayley Dhanecha says
The trick of soaking the fried vadas in warm water before dunking them into the chilled sweetened yogurt is what gives you that incredibly soft melt in the mouth texture, and once you pile on the tamarind chutney, green chutney and a dusting of roasted cumin powder it is honestly one of the most crowd pleasing dishes I make.
Meghna. says
A tempting bowl of daho Vadas ... just wonderfully presented and captured. Thanks for the recipe .
Nisha says
Amazing shots Jagruti. The dahi vadas are perfect for warmer weather and its a great party snack.
code2cook says
we are craving for dahi vada since the time we moved to new place. This dahi vada making me to make asap. I love your gujrati recipes.
Lathiya says
Though I like plain vadas..my hubby is a big fan of this dahi vada..now I can impress him by making this..I have to get time and patience in my hand as you said...these vadas looks droolsome
cookingwithsapana says
The Gujarati dahi vada is almost like we make but we serve it dahi and chutnies only and do not use boondi. This version sounds super soft, crunchy and tasty too.
Unknown says
Such a delicious & flavourful dish. I'm sure its a burst of flavours. WIll try it soon!
www.annapurnaz.in says
We all in the family love dahi Vada. Coincidently, I too have made dahi vadas today. Yours are looking so tempting
Archana says
Send it across I am not making dahi vada anytime soon. Trying to stick to a no frying diet. But that will not stop me from drooling over your pics and fantasizing that I will be able to make them soon. I love the mixture of daals you have used.
Freda says
I feel like picking up one of those bowls and devouring this delicious dahi vada! It looks too tempting!! Been so long since I had some..
Indfused says
Dahi wada is like an oasis in this summer heat. Perfect timing ! I also liked your detailed instructions and photos, Jagruti.
Poonam Bachhav says
My family loves dahi vada to the core and we too add sugar to the curd. Your dahi vada clicks makes me drool Jagruti !
jcookingodyssey says
Thanks Poonam, yes many of the recipes are very similar.
Priya Suresh says
Ser me this Dahi vada, i can sit and eat shamelessly without any guilt, its been a while i prepared dahi vada and this vada are seriously tempting to the core. What a breathtaking clicks.
jcookingodyssey says
Hahaha Priya, there is no shame, I would do the same 🙂 Thanks for your sweet words!
Shobha says
Delicious and inviting dahi vadas. I want some now.
jcookingodyssey says
Thanks Shobha x