Dahi Bhalla

Dahi Bhalla (Dahi Vada)

A classic North Indian chaat of soft urad dal dumplings soaked, then smothered in cool whisked yogurt and finished with sweet tamarind and sharp mint chutneys. The dumplings are soaked in plain water (not salted) so they stay light and spongy.

Prep

30 min

Cook

40 min

Total

70 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •200 g (7 oz) split skinned urad dal (white lentils), soaked 4–6 hours or overnight
• •1 tsp salt, plus more for the soaking water
• •1 tsp finely chopped green chilli, or to taste, or null
• •1 tsp finely grated ginger
• •1 pinch asafoetida (hing), optional, or null
• •600 ml (2½ cups) plain water, for soaking the fried dumplings
• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) full-fat plain yogurt, thick set style
• •40 g (3 tbsp) icing sugar, or to taste, or use 2 tbsp caster sugar
• •120 ml (½ cup) tamarind-date chutney (saunth), store-bought or homemade
• •60 ml (¼ cup) green mint-coriander chutney, store-bought or homemade
• •1 tsp roasted cumin powder, bhuna jeera
• •Kashmiri red chilli powder, ½, for colour, or to taste
• •black salt (kala namak), ½, plus more to taste
• •500 ml (2 cups) neutral oil, for deep-frying, e.g. sunflower or vegetable

Steps

1. 1 Drain the soaked urad dal and grind it to a thick, fluffy batter with as little water as possible - add water 1 tbsp at a time only if the grinder stalls. The batter should be thick enough to hold a peak.
2. 2 Transfer the batter to a bowl. Add the salt, green chilli, ginger and asafoetida (if using). Beat vigorously with a whisk or your hand in one direction for 3–4 minutes until the batter is light and airy; a small drop should float in a glass of water.
3. 3 Heat the oil in a deep pan or kadhai to 160–170 °C (320–340 °F). Wet your hands, take a golf-ball-sized portion of batter (about 30 g / 1 oz), shape it into a smooth round, and slide it into the oil. Fry in small batches, turning occasionally, for 6–8 minutes, until the dumplings are golden brown all over and cooked through. The centre should be soft but set, with no raw batter - cut one open to check; it should read at least 75 °C (167 °F) at the core.
4. 4 Lift the dumplings out and drain briefly on a rack.
5. 5 Immediately soak the hot fried dumplings in the plain water for 15–20 minutes (no longer, or they will break apart). They will swell and turn pale and spongy.
6. 6 Lift each dumpling out and press gently between your palms to squeeze out the excess water - do not wring hard. Arrange on a serving platter in a single layer.
7. 7 Whisk the yogurt with the icing sugar and a pinch of salt until smooth and pourable (add 1–2 tbsp water if very thick). Pour it generously over the dumplings so they are well covered.
8. 8 Drizzle the tamarind chutney and the mint chutney over the top. Scatter with roasted cumin powder, red chilli powder and black salt.
9. 9 Chill for 15–20 minutes before serving, or serve immediately. Taste and adjust the black salt and chutneys at the table.