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    Home » Recipes » Diwali Recipes

    Dahi Vada or Dahi Bhalla Chaat

    Mar 11, 2022 Modified: Mar 11, 2022 by Rekha Kakkar This post may contain affiliate links ·

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    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    Dahi vada is a popular Indian chaat recipe made with deep-fried lentil fritters soaked and topped with yogurt, spicy green chutney and tamarind chutney. I am sharing with you this foolproof recipe to make soft dahi vada and Punjabi dahi Bhalla chaat.

    Dahi Bhalla chaat recipe

    No celebration, holi, Diwali festival or dinner in my house was complete without Dahi Bhalla. You can enjoy Dahi vada as a snack for parties, or as a side dish for any meal.

    What Is Dahi Vada?

    Dahi vada is a popular Indian street food chaat. Dahi bhalle literally is Dahi is yogurt and vada is lentil fritter.

    In North India, this particular dish is known as Dahi Bhalla.  In central India, it is mostly known as dahi vada or dahi bada. In southern India, it is known as Thair vada.

    Jump to:
    • What Is Dahi Vada?
    • Ingredients for Dahi Vada
    • Dahi Vada Toppings
    • How To Make Punjabi Dahi Bhalla Chaat
    • Recipe Notes
    • Tips to Make Soft Vada that Melts in Mouth
    • Storing Suggestions
    • More Indian Chaat Recipes For You 
    • Watch Video
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Tips to Make Soft Vada that Melts in Mouth

    In this post, I am sharing with you two methods of serving dahi vada. The first way is to serve as a side dish for any meal. The second way is to serve these lentil balls as popular street food of India as Dahi Bhalla chaat.

    This is a traditional dahi vada recipe for you. In case you want instant gratification this Instant Bread Dahi vada recipe is a perfect solution to satisfy your chaat craving.

    dahi vada

    Ingredients for Dahi Vada

    Dahi Vada recipe is easy to make and you can find all ingredients to make dahi vada easily in most kitchens.

    Skinned Urad Dal: Also known as dhuli Urad dal or white urad. It is easily available online or in Indian grocery stores. 

    Salt: to taste

    Oil to Fry: You can use any high smoke point oil for deep frying vada.

    Dahi Vada Toppings

    Curd: Thick chilled curd is whisked with salt, sugar and a pinch of pink salt to a smooth creamy consistency. 

    Sweet Tamarind Chutney: Sweet tamarind chutney or dates and tamarind chutney drizzled over yogurt soaked vada tastes so good! Homemade Tamarind Chutney Recipe

    Green chutney: This spicy and tangy green chutney made with mint and coriander balances the sweetness of curd nicely. Green Chutney Recipe

    Spices: Roasted cumin powder, red chilli powder, chaat masala, black salt etc.

    Other toppings: pomegranate, finely chopped boiled potatoes, fresh coriander, chopped mint, ginger juliennes, sev (bhujia) etc can be added in dahi Bhalla chaat.

    How To Make Punjabi Dahi Bhalla Chaat

    Vada 

    Wash and rinse skinned urad dal and yellow dal till water runs clear. Soak skinned dals for 4-5 hours and then drain the water. Grind this soaked dal with a couple of tablespoons of water and salt into dal batter to make dahi vada. 

    A small portion of this seasoned batter is deep-fried in oil to make lentil balls or into a doughnut shape. 

    These deep-fried lentil batter fritters are then soaked in salted water.

    Dahi

    Dahi is also known as yogurt and curd. Homemade Curd is the best for everything! You can easily make Dahi at home with this Recipe. When you do not have time store-bought yogurt or curd works too. Add a tablespoon of sugar and ½ teaspoon of salt to make sweet dahi for topping dahi Bhalla chaat. 

    Assemble Vada with toppings to make dahi bhalla chaat.

    • After soaking in water for 10-15 minutes, gently squeeze out extra water.
    • On a plate add a few vada and top generously with sweetened curd/ dahi/yogurt.
    • Now add a pinch of black salt on top of it. Also add a pinch of red chilli, chaat masala, roasted cumin powder, on top of this curd soaked dahi bhalle.
    • Finally, put a tablespoon of sweet tamarind chutney and spicy green chutney. And garnish with fresh coriander or choice of toppings that I have shared in the ingredient section above.

    Serve Dahi Vada as Side dish

    Another common way to serve dada vada is as a side dish. When you are planning to serve dahi vada as a side dish in an Indian meal. Usually, you just skip tamarind chutney and green chutney.

    For this after squeezing out dal vada pour chilled sweetened curd over it. Sprinkle black salt and regular salt as per your taste. Top with a generous sprinkle of red chilli powder, roasted cumin powder and some fresh pomegranate arils and chopped mint and fresh coriander.

    Recipe Notes

    • While making vada, make sure to aerate the batter with a hand whisk or using a stand mixer or hand blender. It incorporates air and helps in making soft and melt in mouth dahi bada.
    • The shelf life of dahi vada is not very good at room temperature, especially during summer. So Store them in the fridge.
    • To make similar size dahi vadas you can use an ice-cream mini scoop to drop vada into the hot oil.
    • The oil to fry vada should be heated to a medium-hot temperature. If the oil is cold, it will soak a lot of oil, too hot oil can result in cooked outside but raw inside vada. So medium heat is perfect to fry vada.
    dahi bhalla chaat recipe

     

    Tips to Make Soft Vada that Melts in Mouth

    • Usually, Dahi vada is made with urad dal. But I have been making this dahi bhalla with a mix of skinned urad dal and skinned moong dal in a ratio of 3:1. Per ¾ cup of urad dal.
    • Always soak dal for a minimum of 3-4hours.
    • While grinding dal do not add too much water. I try to use only a couple of tablespoons because during soaking lentils absorb enough water.
    • Seasoning of batter is important. Add salt which is required for the batter.
    • Aerate the batter: this is a MUST for making the softest bhalla. Either beat the dal batter manually or use a blender or whisk in a stand mixer to make the batter fluffy. After whipping the batter becomes fluffy and when you drop a spoon full of batter it will float. That means the batter is perfect to fry the vada.
    •  I use a stand mixer for larger quantities or a blender if the batter is in small amounts. 
    • When deep frying vada does not overcrowd the pan and keep the heat on medium. On high flame, the centre of vada may remain uncooked or on low flame they become hard.

    Storing Suggestions

    When you want to serve dahi vada on the same day You can prepare a platter ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Just take it out at a dinner party or a family lunch.

    If you plan to make it ahead a few days earlier than you plan to eat them you can store fried vada in the refrigerator for 2-3 days easily. Soak them in warm salted water whenever you want to serve them and assemble them as I have described in the recipe section.

    To Freeze Dahi vada

    These vada freeze well. You can make a big batch and store fried Bhalla in the freezer. Before freezing cool down vadas completely and line the ziplock bag with a paper towel and then you can store the fried vada in a ziplock back or freezer-safe container. These freeze easily for 8-12 weeks.

    Reheat and Serve

    When you are planning to serve, take out the required quantity and reheat in the microwave for a couple of minutes. After that soak in salted water as usual and assemble the way you want to as Dahi Bhalla chaat or as a side dish of dahi vada. 

    More Indian Chaat Recipes For You 

    • Instant Bread Dahi Vada
    • Aloo tikki chaat
    • Matar ki Tikki Chaat
    • Aloo Laccha Tokri Chaat
    • Chana Chaat
    • Masoor Dal Paneer Tikki
    • Dahi pakodi Chaat
    • Sev Poori chaat
    • Matar Chaat
    • Corn Bhel
    • Matar Kulcha

    Watch Video

    If You like this recipe and made it Please rate the recipe. It helps us to reach more people. You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Pinterest for more food inspirations.

    📖 Recipe

    Dahi Bhalla recipe

    Dahi Vada or Dahi Bhalla Chat

    Dahi vada or dahi bhalla recipe to make the softest dahi vada/ fried lentil dumplings topped with creamy yogurt, a variety of chutney, spices and crunchy toppings. It is an extremely popular street food snack and a tasty side dish.
    4.34 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: north indian
    Keyword: Chaat Recipe, dahi bhalla, dahi vada, indian street food
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 256kcal
    Author: Rekha Kakkar

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup Urad dal
    • ¼ cup moong dal
    • to taste Salt
    • 1 teaspoon Chopped ginger
    • ½ teaspoon chili powder Red
    • ½ teaspoon Cumin Roasted powder
    • 1 cup yogurt
    • 2 tablespoon tamarind sauce
    • 2 tbsp green chutney
    • 1 teaspoon chaat masala
    • Vegetable oil for deep frying

    Instructions

    Make Dahi Vada Batter

    • Wash & soak Lentils for about 4-5 hours and grind to a thick paste with as little water as possible till light and fluffy.
    • If batter in not fluffy enough in grinder use a whisk or hand blender to aerate the batter. Add some salt towards the end so it gets mixed uniformly.
    • The best way to check the batter to make soft dahi vada is after beating it drop a small spoonful in a bowl filled with water. The batter should be light enough so it floats.

    Fry Dahi Vada

    • Heat oil for deep frying in a pan, till it comes to smoke point. Reduce the heat to medium at this time and spoon out small balls of dal mixture into hot oil.
    • Cook for 2-3 minutes , to check vada are cooked break one vada to check it is done inside too, likewise deep fry all vadas.
    • Keep some hot water on the side and dunk the vada and keep them soaked for 10 minutes or more.

    Assemble Dahi Vada Chaat

    • This will soften them and take them out after a few minute, squeeze gently to remove excess water.
    • Arrange them in a deep dish and pour yogurt over it. sprinkle a dash of salt, red chilli powder and cumin powder to taste, squirtz some tamarind sauce, green chutney and serve them chilled.

    Video

    Notes

    Tips to Make Soft Vada that Melts in Mouth

    • Usually, Dahi vada is made with urad dal. But I have been making this dahi bhalla with a mix of skinned urad dal and skinned moong dal in a ratio of 3:1. Per ¾ cup of urad dal.
    • Always soak dal for a minimum of 3-4hours.
    • While grinding dal do not add too much water. I try to use only a couple of tablespoons because during soaking lentils absorb enough water.
    • Seasoning of batter is important. Add salt which is required for the batter.
    • Aerate the batter: this is a MUST for making the softest bhalla. Either beat the dal batter manually or use a blender or whisk in a stand mixer to make the batter fluffy. After whipping the batter becomes fluffy and when you drop a spoon full of batter it will float. That means the batter is perfect to fry the vada.
    •  I use a stand mixer for larger quantities or a blender if the batter is in small amounts. 
    • When deep frying vada does not overcrowd the pan and keep the heat on medium. On high flame, the centre of vada may remain uncooked or on low flame they become hard.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 43mg | Potassium: 158mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 194IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 5mg

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    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Preeti Tamilarasan

      August 27, 2013 at 1:47 pm

      like that last click 🙂 nice work

      Reply
    2. Priya

      August 27, 2013 at 6:24 pm

      Inviting dahi vada, i dont mind inviting myself to ur place.

      Reply
    3. Kiran @ KiranTarun.com

      August 28, 2013 at 5:01 am

      I love dahi vada. And this is no exception. Looks so delicious, Rekha 🙂
      ps: are you using any tripod for your camera? because your beautiful styling is showing blurry in this photos. I'm just a concerned friend, so thought to ask you 🙂

      Reply
    4. Vera

      August 28, 2013 at 9:55 pm

      I made the dahi vada for the first time... I"m not to eat yogurt therefore I just seasoned the salt with cumin,, they are so good..
      I didn't soak them in hot water .... did I need to? if so why?
      I must say I really enjoy your site and trying your recipes...
      All the Best

      Reply
    5. tinkushaji

      August 29, 2013 at 3:50 am

      Dahi vada looks so yumm

      Reply
    6. Rosa

      September 09, 2013 at 8:12 am

      Whta fabulous snack! It looks ever so scrumptious.
      Cheers,
      Rosa

      Reply
    7. Prema Michael

      May 17, 2022 at 5:28 pm

      Love this. Can I serve it with biryani

      Reply

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    Life is complicated so let’s keep our food simple! No this is not a quote from someone else 🙂 this actually sums up my food philosophy and why I started this food blog.

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