Dahi Vada

Ingredients:

Urad dal washed or white lentil -1 cup or 100 gms,

Yogurt or curd -1 kg ( whisked ),

Ginger -1 inch ( chopped ),

Green chilli -1 ,

Cumin seeds -1 tsp ,

Black pepper corn -1 tsp  ,

Asafoetida -a pinch ,

Cumin pwd roasted  - 2 tsp ,

Black salt - 1 tsp ,

Red chilli pwd - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste ,

Oil for frying,

Tamarind chutney - small bowl .

Method :

Soak dal overnight  .Strain water and  grind the urad dal , green chilli and ginger with one tbsp of water in a grinder for 2 minutes . The consistency has to be smooth .Keep in the fridge for 2 hours .

Put 1/4 cup of water to curd and beat it till smooth and  keep in the fridge to cool .

Take out the dal paste from the fridge and  and add 2 tbsp of water. Whisk for few minutes till light and fluffy .You can test your paste if  the consistency is right or not by dropping a drop of the mixture in a glass of water .If  the drop floats then it is right and if it drops down to the bottom then the mixture is heavy and you need  to beat more .If the mixture is too thick add few drops of water  and then beat .It will take only few minutes .

When the mixture is ready add one tsp of cumin seeds ,pepper corn and a pinch of asafoetida .

Heat oil in a deep pan or kadhai .Wet your left palm and put a spoonful of mixture in your palm and dab it with wet fingers and flatten it and then make a hole in the center .Fry the vadas in hot oil till light and crusty .Take out in a plate and keep aside .Fry the vadas in batches .

Put the fried vadas in luke warm water with 1/2 tsp of salt in it and let it stay for  2 minutes .

Take out the beaten curd from the fridge  .Put roasted cumin pwd ,black salt ,and salt in the curd .Taste the salt in the curd.

Squeeze each vadas between your palm to extract water out and then drop them in the beaten curd .

The vadas should be immersed in the curd .Keep in the fridge to cool .

Before serving in the plate sprinkle roasted cumin pwd ,red chilli pwd and drizzle it with tamarind chutney .

Enjoy dahi vadas with your special festive meals .

Makes - 11 vadas .