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Learn how to make South Indian style Dahi Vada or Thayir Vadai Recipe using this easy recipe.
I was terriblyjet-laggedall of last week. I couldn’t keep my eyes open beyond 8pm and was up and about by 4:30 which is super duper rare for me because I am just not a morning person. I have to say I secretly enjoyed my energy at 5 in the morning the past few days.
– I made the batter in my Ultra wet grinder and this makes all the difference in your medhu vada. I was amazed how crisp the vadas were outside and soft inside. I was also able to get the doughnut shape (although not perfect), you just need to resist the temptation to add too much water to the urad dal while its grinding. This is harder to control in a mixie I guess.
– I added whole peppercorn like the ones you get in restaurants. TH doesn’t like biting into them but I didn’t have an option because we were out of green chillies. I also added ginger more liberally than last time.
But today’s recipe is all about dunking these deep fried awesomes into a bowl of flavoured curd, letting them soak for a while and then sinking your teeth in the resulting goodness. We did this with the few remaining vadas and actually enjoyed it more than the vadas by themselves.
1. Dunk the vadas into a bowl of warm water, soak for 10 seconds, take them out and squeeze out the excess water. This will ensure that the vadas are softer once soaked in the curd.
2. Beat the curd with some water, the jeera powder, and salt. Add the vadas in and leave in the fridge for atleast 4 hours or overnight.
3. Before serving, garnish with some chopped coriander leaves and chilli powder / paprika. Kara boondi also makes an excellent garnish but sadly, I didn’t have any.
1. The Dahi Vada made in Northern parts of India is slightly different from this. The spices used to flavour the dahi are different and they usually serve it with dates chutney and mint chutney, the same kinds used for chaat. That tastes great, but is different from this.
2. In some versions, ground coconut is added to the curd. Although I was tempted to try this, I didn’t have any coconut in the fridge (remember, I was away for 3 weeks!). Maybe next time.
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anu
Dear Nags,
The thayiru vada was delcious! It was my very first attempt at any kind of vada and your recipe made it so very easy. Thank you Anu
Hey Nags, when I saw the South Indian Thayir Vadai pic…it got me salivating..and my tummy rumbling…I will definitely try your recipe. Just wanted to know what type of wine would you recommend this dish to complement it? I have tried quite a few types and varieties of wine before with Indian cuisine…many misses and a few spot on…please advice.
I do like plenty of ginger in mine too. Prefer green chili to peppercorns but can bear with them. A perfect thing for the warming weather. I have to make dahi wada.
Dahi vadia looks fantastic. I am actually drooling here….wonderful yummy looking clicks too. Thanks for letting me know that butterscotch is available here in Singapore.
Dahi Bhalle is the north-Indian dish in which lentil fritters are served in seasoned yogurt topped with chutney, whereas Dahi Vada is the popular south-Indian dish, in which the yogurt is seasoned with a tempering made with curry leaves and mustard seeds.
Now take this batter in a big bowl and continuously whisk it with a big spoon/whisk or with an electric beater till it becomes light. This is the key step. If you do not beat the batter properly your vada will be hard. If you are using an electric beater it usually takes 2-4 minutes to make this batter light and airy.
You can store the prepared dahi vadas in refrigerator for a day. If you want to keep them for 2 to 3 days, then store the softened vadas in air tight box and add them to chilled yogurt the day you want to serve. Fried vadas can be frozen for about a month.
Dahi Vada is lentil fritters soaked in yogurt. Dahi is “yogurt” and Vada is “deep fried lentil fritters”. It is a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth kind of dish. The lentil fritters are soaked in water so they soften.
It is rich in fibre, improves digestion, protects the heart, boosts energy, improves bone health, strengthens the nervous system, helps manage diabetes, and is excellent for hair and skin. Another important ingredient of the recipe is curd or yoghurt which is also known for its health benefits since ages!
If you pour too much water at once, it will get a watery consistency and your bhallas won't be firm. Often times, we get so busy in grinding a thick paste that we forget about the basic ingredient, i.e. salt. Add a pinch of salt to the batter to let it rise properly.
If you add the vadas to the oil too early, there's a good chance they will absorb excess oil - thus becoming heavy and soggy. If you overheat the oil, you might burn the vadas. Hence deep fry them on medium flame and turn them over as required so that they turn golden brown on all sides.
Firstly do not let the mixer-grinder or the batter heat up while grinding. Warm or hot batter makes hard medu vada. Sometimes they may even taste bitter. So always use ice cold water to grind the lentils.
Stiff/tough/hard bhallas. The batter needs more water or baking powder. After you've added the initial water, add an extra 1 tbsp of water. Add an extra 1/4 tsp baking powder to soften.
Curd consumption at night is not recommended by Ayurveda because it causes mucus formation. As curd has both sweet and sour properties, eating it at night may cause mucus to form in the nasal passage. Curd should not be consumed on a daily basis by people suffering from arthritis.
“It is typically safe to eat yogurt past its sell-by-date as long as there are no indications of spoilage, like an off odor or mold growth,” Amidor says. “It is best to eat the yogurt within 7 to 14 days after it is opened in order to reduce the risk of mold or yeast growth.”
History. A recipe for dahi wada (as kshiravata) is mentioned in Manasollasa, a 12th-century Sanskrit encyclopedia compiled by Someshvara III, who ruled from present-day Karnataka. Today, dahi vada is prepared on festival such as Holi.
Mughals and their lifestyle left a strong impact on our palates. It was believed that in the 18th Century, the Mughal Khansamas prepared this delight in the Mughal Kitchens using curd, herbs and spices to improve the digestion.
Dahi vada is also known as "dahi vade" (दही वडे) in Marathi, dahi barey/dahi balley (دہی بھلے/دہی بڑے) in Urdu, dahi vada (दही वड़ा) in Hindi, dahi bhalla (دہی بھلا/ਦਹੀ ਭੱਲਾ) in Punjabi, thayir vadai in Tamil, thairu vada in Malayalam, perugu vada in Telugu, mosaru vade in Kannada, dahi bara (ଦହି ବରା) in Odia and doi ...
A perfect dahi vada recipe starts with tender and puffy homemade fried lentil fritters that are soaked in water, drained, and then covered in tangy whipped yogurt. These fluffy fritters are traditionally made with the ivory colored skinned urad dal, also known as black gram or urad bean or matpe bean.
The primary lentil that is used to make the vadas for a dahi vada is urad dal or split husked black gram only. Whereas most of the bhalle have a combination of urad dal and moong dal or split husked green gram (yellow lentils).
The lip-smacking, quintessential, classic North Indian delicacy Dahi Vada or Dahi Bhalla as it is popularly known, can certainly be included in your weight loss regime, totally guilt-free. All you have to do is just tweak the recipe and the cooking procedure.
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