Dahi Vada

“Whip it as long as your hands can take it, and then whip some more. That’s what makes vadas melt in your mouth” mummy would tell me with her fingers buried inside a bowl of smooth urad dal paste. Weather outside was perfect, not too hot and neither too cold, but inside the kitchen, with all that cooking marathon going on, it was steaming hot. A steady stream of sweat kept trickling down her forehead and she kept wiping it with the corner of her yellow cotton saree, which had a gold and red border. Like last year, papa again promised to put an exhaust fan in her kitchen on next Diwali. Like last year, she kept saying it isn’t worth spending so much money.

Sitting on a wooden step stool while waiting for the oil in her wok to be ready, she was trying to teach me how she made her ever so famous dahi vadas. I, on the other hand, found those flaky mathris she fried that morning, more intriguing. I would get a scolding for not paying attention. “You would wish you had listened to me now, when you make this in your own kitchen after marriage. So stop eating and observe carefully”, she would say. I continued to dismiss all of that and instead asked where she had kept her sweet and tangy mango relish which might go well with those delicious mathris.

She would fry more than fifty vadas for Diwali, giving every single portion of batter a good whip with her hand before dropping exactly the same size dumplings into hot oil. No measuring spoon and still all fifty of them would look exactly the same and would be equally soft. I don’t know how she did it because well, I did try doing the same in my own kitchen after marriage and failed miserably! I consoled myself – it must have something to do with the heat in her kitchen that made her vadas softer than mine. I’m sure even hers don’t come out as amazing anymore, considering papa has now put an exhaust fan AND air conditioning in her kitchen!

Last Diwali I gathered the courage of making dahi vadas again, this time for a friend. Once again, I asked mummy for the recipe. “This time tell me everything in detail” I demanded. She never follows a recipe. Its all about eye balling and experience in her cooking but she tried her best to be precise this time. I tried my best to follow. They didn’t come out have as good as I remember hers. But maybe that has more to do with my memories attached of her making them, than the recipe itself? To me the ones I make can never taste as good as hers!

What is a Dahi Vada?

Dahi vada is a popular Indian snack that consists of lentil or gram flour dumplings known as vadas, which are deep-fried until crispy and golden brown. These fried vadas are then soaked in thick and creamy yogurt seasoned with spices, creating a delightful contrast of textures and flavors in every bite.

Why is my Dahi Vada not soft?

To ensure that your dahi vadas turn out soft and fluffy, it’s crucial to follow a few key steps during the preparation process:

• Use less water: When grinding the soaked urad dal (skinless black gram lentils) to make the vada batter, make sure to add as little water as possible. The batter should be thick and smooth but not watery, as excess water can lead to dense and heavy vadas.

• Add Baking Soda: Adding a small amount of baking soda to the vada batter just before frying helps in making them soft and airy.

• Soak Vadas in water after frying: Soaking the fried vadas in water after frying and before adding yogurt helps in making them soft and moist. This step allows the vadas to absorb moisture, making them tender and more enjoyable to eat.

How to make Dahi Vada (Dahi Bhalla)?

As intimidating as the long recipe card might look here, making dahi vadas is easy. You just need to follow a few simple steps.

1. Soak urad dal and moong dal in water for 4-6 hours, then grind to a smooth paste.
2. Add some baking soda to the batter, then beat well to make it fluffy.
3. Heat oil in a pan, drop sdollops of batter to make small vadas, and fry until golden brown.
4. Soak the fried vadas in warm water for 3-5 minutes, then gently squeeze out excess water.
5. Prepare spiced yogurt and pour it over the soft vadas.
6. Garnish with roasted cumin powder, red chili powder, chopped coriander leaves, cilantro chutney and tamarind chutney before serving.

Finally, I am sharing it today. Hope it takes you back to your special moments like it did for me.