Dahi Vada

Method

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1. Soak the urad dal in cold water for 4 hours, then drain.

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2. Grind with the ginger and chillies to a thick fluffy paste, using as little water as possible.

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3. Beat in the salt and whip the batter hard for 4 minutes, until a spoonful floats in water.

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4. Heat the oil to 170C and fry spoonfuls of batter in batches for 4 minutes, until deep gold. Drain.

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5. Put the fried vada in the warm water and soak 20 minutes.

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6. Lift each one out and squeeze it gently between your palms to press the water and oil out.

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7. Whisk the yoghurt with the sugar and yoghurt salt until smooth and pourable.

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8. Arrange the squeezed vada in a shallow dish and pour the yoghurt over to cover.

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9. Refrigerate 2 hours.

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10. Spoon both chutneys over, dust with chaat masala, cumin and chilli powder, and scatter the coriander and pomegranate over.

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Chef’s Tips

• Soak and squeeze. It is not optional.
• The float test decides whether they will be light.
• Two hours in the yoghurt at least; overnight is better.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the green chillies in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.

Pairing Suggestions

• Samosa chaat
• Masala chai
• Extra tamarind chutney

Storage & Reheating

Keeps 2 days refrigerated in the yoghurt and improves overnight.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.