Mr. and Mrs. Adhikaris' Wonderful Indian Dahi Vadas from Orissa
- 2 cups white Urad Dal
- 12 cup water
- 400 g plain low-fat yogurt, beaten
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seed
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 14 teaspoon red chili powder
- 4 fresh curry leaves, washed and torn between the palms of your hands
- 2 green chilies, washed
- salt
- oil, to deep fry
- 2 medium finely chopped onions, to garnish
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves, to garnish
- 2 tablespoons of sweet chutney, to garnish (meethi)
- Soak white lentils (urad dal) in plenty of water.
- Grind it (it should not be ground so fine and dry) in the mixer.
- Add a pinch of salt and keep it on the kitchen countertop for 5-6 hours.
- Dip your palm in water and take a small quantity (the size of your palm) of the ground dal on the palm of your hand.
- Make a hole in the center of the dal mixture on your palm.
- Heat oil in a wok on high flame.
- Once its hot, put the dal mixture on your palm into the hot oil, very gently.
- Fry it in hot oil on both sides until golden brown (on both sides).
- Drain on clean paper kitchen napkins.
- Keep aside.
- This is the"vada" which is now ready.
- Likewise, prepare all the vadas out of the dal mixture.
- Then dip the vadas in a bowl filled with cold water so that the excess oil comes out.
- After 2-3 minutes, take the vadas out of the cold water.
- Press lightly on the palm of your hand so that the water comes out of the vadas.
- Keep aside.
- Now, take the beaten yogurt in a bowl.
- Add sugar, red chilli powder and salt.
- Beat for 5 minutes.
- Then add 1/2 cup of water to make the consistency of the yogurt thin.
- Keep aside.
- Now heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan.
- Add mustard seeds.
- When they start crackling, add cumin seeds, green chillies and curry leaves.
- Allow the cumin seeds to splutter and the curry leaves to sizzle, stir-frying continuously.
- Once they stop doing so, remove the pan from heat.
- Add this seasoning to the bowl of beaten yogurt.
- Refrigerate the bowl of yogurt.
- Two hours prior to serving time, dip the vadas in the bowl of beaten yogurt.
- Gently turn them over so as to coat the vadas with the yogurt mixture on either side.
- Garnish the dahi vadas with finely chopped onions, meethi chutney and coriander leaves.
- Serve this as a side-dish with a spicy curry or vegetable for a complete meal!
white urad dal, water, yogurt, oil, mustard seeds, cumin, sugar, red chili powder, curry, green chilies, salt, oil, onions, fresh coriander leaves, sweet chutney
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/mr-and-mrs-adhikaris-wonderful-indian-dahi-vadas-from-orissa-77106 (may not work)