Dahi Vada

By: Manjula Jain

December 27, 2007

Serving : 6 people
Total Time :25 minutes

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Dahi Vada

Dahi Vadas are lentil dumplings dipped in yogurt and topped with spicy savory tamarind chutney. These are great as a side dish for a formal dinner, appetizer or served as a chaat.

Dahi Vada

Ingredients

For Vada

  • 3/4 cup washed Moong dal
  • 1/4 cup washed Urad dal

For Garnish

  • 1-1/2 cupa yogurt curd, dahi
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp red chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp roasted cumin seed powder bhuna jeera
  • 3 tbsp tamarind chutney

Instructions

  • Mix both dals and wash several times until the water appears clear. Soak dal in 4 cups of water for at least six hours. Drain the water. In a blender, blend the dal to very creamy texture. Use only as little water as needed to blend. Using too much water for blending will not give the desired creamy texture. 
  • Whip the dal batter, stirring with a spoon in a circular motion two to three minutes, until batter is light and fluffy. Add a few spoonfuls of water as needed.
  • Cover the bottom of a flat frying pan with ½-inch of oil and heat over medium high heat. Test the oil by dropping a little batter into it. When the oil sizzles, it is ready.
  • Place one tablespoon of batter into the oil. The oil should not be deep enough to cover the batter; the vadas will be softer if they are shallow-fried. The vadas will begin to expand slowly, without changing color.
  • Fry the vadas in small batches, until golden all around.
  • After you have made all of the vadas, place them in lukewarm water and soak for about 20 minutes. Squeeze the vadas gently to remove the water, being careful not to break the vadas. Set aside.
  • Whip the yogurt until smooth. Add a little milk as needed to make the consistency similar to pancake batter or lassi. Add about one teaspoon salt, to taste. 
  • Soak vadas in the yogurt batter for at least half an hour, giving the vadas time to absorb the yogurt.
  • Slowly pick up each vada and transfer to a serving dish. Pour a few more spoons yogurt over the Vadas.
  • Just before serving, sprinkle some salt as needed, ground roasted cumin seeds, red chile powder, and finish off with a drizzle of tamarind chutney.

Notes

Variations:
Change the proportion of dals, or use only urad dal.
As an alternative, you can add chopped green chilies and crushed coriander seeds to the dal batter just before frying.
Instead of serving with tamarind chutney, you can sprinkle chopped cilantro over the dahi vadas.
You can also make the vadas very small and serve as a Raita dish.
If you are vegan, you can soak the vadas in tamarind chutney instead of yogurt and sprinkle some chopped cilantro or chopped mint leaves.
Suggestions:
You can make the dahi vadas in advance and freeze them before soaking in water. When ready to use, soak as many as needed in hot water for about half an hour, then change the water to room temperature and soak for another ten minutes. Now proceed according to the recipe.
Dahi Vada

Dahi Vada

Dahi Vadas are lentil dumplings dipped in yogurt and topped with spicy savory tamarind chutney. These are great as a side dish for a formal dinner, appetizer or served as a chaat.
No ratings yet
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Soaking Dal 6 hours
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Indian
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

For Vada

  • 3/4 cup washed Moong dal
  • 1/4 cup washed Urad dal

For Garnish

  • 1-1/2 cupa yogurt curd, dahi
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp red chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp roasted cumin seed powder bhuna jeera
  • 3 tbsp tamarind chutney

Instructions
 

  • Mix both dals and wash several times until the water appears clear. Soak dal in 4 cups of water for at least six hours. Drain the water. In a blender, blend the dal to very creamy texture. Use only as little water as needed to blend. Using too much water for blending will not give the desired creamy texture. 
  • Whip the dal batter, stirring with a spoon in a circular motion two to three minutes, until batter is light and fluffy. Add a few spoonfuls of water as needed.
  • Cover the bottom of a flat frying pan with ½-inch of oil and heat over medium high heat. Test the oil by dropping a little batter into it. When the oil sizzles, it is ready.
  • Place one tablespoon of batter into the oil. The oil should not be deep enough to cover the batter; the vadas will be softer if they are shallow-fried. The vadas will begin to expand slowly, without changing color.
  • Fry the vadas in small batches, until golden all around.
  • After you have made all of the vadas, place them in lukewarm water and soak for about 20 minutes. Squeeze the vadas gently to remove the water, being careful not to break the vadas. Set aside.
  • Whip the yogurt until smooth. Add a little milk as needed to make the consistency similar to pancake batter or lassi. Add about one teaspoon salt, to taste. 
  • Soak vadas in the yogurt batter for at least half an hour, giving the vadas time to absorb the yogurt.
  • Slowly pick up each vada and transfer to a serving dish. Pour a few more spoons yogurt over the Vadas.
  • Just before serving, sprinkle some salt as needed, ground roasted cumin seeds, red chile powder, and finish off with a drizzle of tamarind chutney.

Notes

Variations:
Change the proportion of dals, or use only urad dal.
As an alternative, you can add chopped green chilies and crushed coriander seeds to the dal batter just before frying.
Instead of serving with tamarind chutney, you can sprinkle chopped cilantro over the dahi vadas.
You can also make the vadas very small and serve as a Raita dish.
If you are vegan, you can soak the vadas in tamarind chutney instead of yogurt and sprinkle some chopped cilantro or chopped mint leaves.
Suggestions:
You can make the dahi vadas in advance and freeze them before soaking in water. When ready to use, soak as many as needed in hot water for about half an hour, then change the water to room temperature and soak for another ten minutes. Now proceed according to the recipe.
Keyword Dahi Pakora, Dahi Vada Chaat, Dal Dumpling
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Comments

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    Indian recipes
    April 5, 2019 at 4:08 am

    dahi Wada looking too awesome and delicious, i will definitely try this recipe in the weekend and enjoy with my family.
    Thanks for sharing a such a good and tasty recipe, keep sharing such a new and interesting recipes.
    Indian recipes

    Neetu
    October 6, 2017 at 3:33 am

    I made vadas yesterday… It became hard now. Will soaking in water help??
    Really need help immediately
    Thanks

      Manjula Jain
      October 9, 2017 at 9:52 pm

      Neetu, sorry not be able to reply soon, you did not whip the dal enough, but if it happens again boil the water turn off the heat add half a spoon of ENO and soak the vadas for about an hour that will help

    Deepika
    September 14, 2017 at 10:53 pm

    yumm, I really love it, I always told to my mum to make this for me.

    vandana sharma
    October 12, 2016 at 11:13 pm

    i think jis lukewarm water mein soak kiya hai salt usmein dalne se theek hoga

    anita
    August 2, 2016 at 9:49 am

    hi,
    it is wonderful watching your videos.. I made dahi vada and it came out very good..
    thanks !!!
    anita

    Mansha
    April 15, 2016 at 9:55 pm

    Aunty, the vada was tasty but very bland because there was no salt in batter. Next time, I will try putting salt in the batter.

    Lata
    November 21, 2015 at 5:42 pm

    Aunty, I like all your recipes. I tried dahi vada, but it turned out bland because there was no saltin the vada only in yogurt.

    jyoti
    November 22, 2014 at 6:05 pm

    Wow recipes too gud n mouthwatering many thanx manjulu aunty .

    Sushmita Chaudhuri
    March 21, 2014 at 5:35 am

    Thank you aunty very much for all ur recipes. I am a regular at ur web site and have tried quite a some of them. But the dahi vadas recipe is a hit and evryone at my home loves it when i make it. Thank you a lots.

    Vishranti
    February 12, 2014 at 1:54 pm

    Thanks sister for the lovely recipe. I really enjoyed it. It yummy!

    Kristin
    September 6, 2013 at 8:20 am

    Thanks for the recipe, these are wonderful and very popular with my family.

    Uma Nambiar
    August 22, 2013 at 7:35 pm

    Hi, Thanks for your dahi vada recipe. I came across this recipe i have been preparing ever since. My family loves this. Its taste really awesome. And the tips that you give are indeed handy.

    shanthi
    January 19, 2013 at 11:28 pm

    Thank u Sister!…. its wonderfull!!!!!!

    Goldy
    January 13, 2013 at 7:18 pm

    Aunty, I dont have enough words to say thank you for all of your recipes. I have started learning cooking from you since you have appeared in youtube. Your instructions are so easy to follow.

    Thanks once again

    suman
    December 23, 2012 at 9:08 am

    |Do we add any salt to the dal batter before frying?

    mamta
    December 21, 2012 at 9:10 am

    Very good

    Gauri Mali
    August 20, 2012 at 10:39 pm

    Hi i have an question that my unty is from Mumbai and in dahi she adds sugar . Actually i know dahi vada recipe but now i have been forgot n so i m little confuse about that.

    Shammin
    August 10, 2012 at 6:26 pm

    I made these today but halved the quantity for me and my husband! I had trouble whipping the batter and it wasn’t light and fluffy at all, so I gave up and fried them. However, they weren’t as hard as I thought they would be which is great! I sprinkled chaat masala over them as I didn’t have tamarind chutney. I would suggest adding some salt to the batter, as the lentil dumplings taste bland and having a big mouthful of yoghurt can be too tangy.

      F
      June 10, 2018 at 4:04 am

      Thanks Shamim, I’ll definitely add some salt to the batter

    baljeet
    August 4, 2012 at 10:48 pm

    respected aunty what can i do to make my vada’s more spongy last time mine were little bit hard from inside.. what could be the reason ..?

      Manjula Jain
      August 5, 2012 at 10:14 pm

      baljeet
      Whip the batter more, batter should feel very light and fluffy

    Shammin
    August 4, 2012 at 9:51 pm

    Actually i don’t need an answer to my question. I bought urad dahl today just so i can make your dahi vada!

    ritoo kumar
    August 1, 2012 at 2:26 am

    ur dahi vada is yummy

    Shammin
    July 26, 2012 at 1:57 pm

    Hi Aunty ji,

    I’m messaging from Canada. I love your method of teaching and I really want to try your recipes as some of them are perfect for breaking the fast in Ramadan right now.
    I just watched your recipe for dahi vada. I have split red lentils (masoor dahl). Can i use this to make your dahi vada?

    Thank you.

    aisha
    July 24, 2012 at 3:54 pm

    My vadas become hard in the centre.
    Please help me in this matter.
    Regards

      Manjula Jain
      July 24, 2012 at 8:54 pm

      Aisha,
      May be you did not whip the dal batter enough or oil was too much in frying pan.

    salma mansoor
    June 17, 2012 at 9:59 am

    hello,Mrs manjula i tried ur recipe of vegetable cutlet happy to get the real taste n the look ur recipes helps me a lot in the month of ramzan to cook different varities everyday

    chhanda mukherjee
    June 17, 2012 at 2:33 am

    Thank you.

    chhanda mukherjee
    June 17, 2012 at 2:08 am

    what can I do if the batter is very loose ? can I mix anything with the batter ? please help me.

    Alejandro
    December 22, 2011 at 12:41 am

    Dear Manjula, i love this recipe but whenever i try to make it, something goes wrong, i have tried several times and every time i have followed the recipe very carefully.

    After i fry the patties they can hardly hold together, so when i soak in water they completely fall apart. the ones that keep at least a bit of shape are very oily and not very pleasant at all

    I live in America so im thinking it might be somehow the quality of the lentils perhaps would be the cause?, then again i have tried also the Chola Tikki and i had the same bad consistency on the patties

    Any help would be appreciated

    Thanks for your wonderful recipes

    Ale

      J2
      April 11, 2012 at 3:43 pm

      hmm, usually the problem I have seen is that the vada becomes too hard…never heard of a problem like yours. Something you are doing or using is wrong -but I guess neither Manjula nor I cna figure it out.

      viliam
      May 5, 2012 at 4:08 pm

      maybe you’re just using too much water in the batter. today i’ve added little bit more water by accident and few of the vadas fell aparat, others were just too breakable. this doesn’t happen when i use less water in the batter.

    somit
    November 7, 2011 at 7:43 am

    hello manjula aunty i am very glad to read ur recipe on this site
    i tried your recipe at home .i did was download recipe of rasgulla’s
    last time,iam sure u always give us the wonderful recipe,t
    thankyou…………..

    sujata
    November 1, 2011 at 6:24 pm

    I just came across this site. Thanks Manjula for this wonderful site. The recipes are well-explained. I have not yet tried the videos .
    Very thoughtful suggestions about pre-cooking and FREEZING!
    I find freezing such a blessinsg.
    Thanks once again. Regards

    Radha Bage
    October 25, 2011 at 1:48 pm

    I tried your recipe with urad daal only and it came out purrfect !
    I make them very often now ..since my family loves it & they are very easy to make ..thanks Manjula

    banu
    October 17, 2011 at 12:01 am

    hello aunt
    i like your cooking method.very easy and simple
    thank you.

    Jyoti
    September 29, 2011 at 9:10 am

    Hello aunty,
    I have tried your receipe for dahi vada, never thought that making vadas was so easy. It has increased craze for making delicious food. Thanks a lot and i will try your other receipes too and hope they all will also be easy.

    Teesra
    September 3, 2011 at 6:56 pm

    Love this. I remember my Granny making it for me in my childhood days.

    Roopa
    August 6, 2011 at 10:51 am

    Hello Aunty, Thank you so much. very tasty every one at home liked this receipe a lot.

    Thank you once again and god bless you.

    Gullalay
    August 2, 2011 at 1:46 pm

    Hello Didi,

    I made Dahi Vada as per your recipe today, and it came out so well. Your recipes are so tempting and easy to follow. As far as I remember I don’t think so I made Vada as tasty and fluffy before.
    Thanks a lot for your recipes and bless you.

    naseema
    June 21, 2011 at 8:40 am

    hello manjulaji,i saw ur recipe dal makhani. which is this black urad dal?where shoud i get that. onemore which is moong dal ? pls reply fast.

    Kush
    April 25, 2011 at 11:00 am

    and when you use moong dal, do you use split moon dal or whole moong dal?

      Manjula Jain
      April 25, 2011 at 1:57 pm

      Kush,
      I use wash split moong dal.

    Kush
    April 25, 2011 at 10:56 am

    which way tastes better? only with urad dal, or both urad dal and moong dal mixed together?

      Manjula Jain
      April 25, 2011 at 1:58 pm

      Kush,
      I prefer using urad and moong dal both but you can just use urad dal.

    Sushmita Chaudhuri
    April 11, 2011 at 10:47 pm

    Hello Aunty,

    First of all I would like to thankyou very much that you have uploaded dahi vada recipe in sush an elaborated manner that its just an instant hit.
    And because of your help I have got appriciations from all my relatives and they keep on asking me to make dahi vada every time there is a get together. My husband loves it the most . I tell every one abut your site . I have learnt a lot from you . Thank you Aunty once again , and keep new recipes coming , I am definately a regular of your site.

    Q
    April 4, 2011 at 10:36 am

    I’ll have to say that this was fun and easy to do and the result more than I could have hoped for. Very tasty!

    v4vectors
    January 29, 2011 at 4:47 am

    waw dahi vada i like it..!

    Minu
    January 21, 2011 at 5:07 pm

    Hello Mam,

    Can we use urad dhal flour instead of soaking the urad dhal and grinding after 6 hours?

    Regards
    Minu

    Jyoti Jain
    November 13, 2010 at 3:48 pm

    Hi Manjula aunty,

    Could you please tell me what kind and what speed of blender are you using.

    Thanks
    Jyoti Jain

    Mazee Africa
    November 9, 2010 at 9:16 am

    Bhabhi,

    I like to try this recipe one of the days and let you know how I get on thanks

    ashu
    August 6, 2010 at 10:14 am

    Aunty 1 cup measure equal to how many ML is it 250

    Haifa
    July 27, 2010 at 7:29 pm

    Hello,
    My mam loves all your recipes and is very delighted to try your dahi vada recipe, I really love it too, I just wanted to try it immediately when I first saw it, it is truly an excellent recipe.

    anky
    July 10, 2010 at 1:53 am

    hi ,auntyji

    i want to learn dates &tamarind chunti can u send that recipe
    i have tried many of ur recipes all are very good (yummy ) really

    thanx waiting for this recipe

    clive whitworth
    July 3, 2010 at 3:20 am

    Thank you so much for your recipes and videos. They are so good, especially because you create wonderful healthy tasty food with simple ingredients in a kitchen we can all relate to using pots pans and utensils we all have at home.

    ashwini
    June 17, 2010 at 12:06 pm

    Hello Manjula,
    I tried the dahi vadas for a party i had last week,it was fabulous,evryone enjoyed it thank u so much for the lovely recipe
    ashwini

    Yessenia Kivel
    June 11, 2010 at 1:59 pm

    This is a very exciting post, I was looking for this info. Just so you know I discovered your weblog when I was checking for blogs like mine, so please check out my site sometime and leave me a comment to let me know what you think.

    shakky
    June 3, 2010 at 8:47 pm

    hi,aunty i want to know that the milk added to make the batter smooth is boiled milk or milk without boil can also be used.thanks.

      Manjula Jain
      June 3, 2010 at 10:22 pm

      Shakky,
      In yogurt you can use any milk.

        shakky
        June 4, 2010 at 11:26 pm

        thanks aunti i’ve learnt a lot from u and not only i but all my friends love u so much.god bless u

    Rutba
    May 6, 2010 at 9:16 am

    Aunty i really learn a lot from you. Thankyou for teaching us cooking in simple way.

    ashu
    April 24, 2010 at 11:21 am

    dearest Aunty

    I tried your receipe… The vada was soft but it did not absorb curd in the center. is there anythg to correct that aunty

      Jaya
      April 24, 2010 at 6:26 pm

      Ashu, here are some tips that may correct that problem:

      1) whip the vada batter will and test by dropping a pea size into a glass of water. It should rise up to the top of the water. Otherwise, whip it some more.
      2) don’t make the vadas too large. I use a tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop the batter and put into the hot oil so they are all the same size.
      3) Fry them a little longer than you have been because the part that doesn’t absorb the yogurt is probably still a little under cooked. I fry one or two first, then cut them in half to see if they are cooked through. Then I know if the next batch needs to be cooked the same or longer.

      Hope this helps. Good luck!

        ashu
        May 8, 2010 at 12:23 pm

        thanks a lot jaya

    Sushmita Chaudhuri - India
    April 12, 2010 at 6:01 am

    Hi Manjula Aunty,
    This is my first comment and I would love to say that because of yours elaborated & step by step cooking I have learnt a lot — everybody in my home loves my cooking – my husband loves the dahi vada’s a lot and the besan ka ladoo — Thank you sooooooo much.

      ashu
      April 19, 2010 at 11:15 am

      dearest Aunty

      I tried your receipe… The vada was soft but it did not absorb curd in the center. Id there a way to correct that

    Sonal
    February 19, 2010 at 8:47 am

    this is great! the videos are helpful for first generation kids when mom isn’t around!

    Arti Jain - London
    January 28, 2010 at 2:48 pm

    Made ‘Gobhi Paranthas’ and they turned out delicious. The tip about filling them and leaving them for a while before rolling them – was very helpful and they for the first time didn’t seep out of the dough!

    I also made the ‘Eggless Pineapple Cake’ which came out perfect. The good thing is your recipes are made with ‘cup measures’ so are easy to follow.

    Look forward to trying out other dishes as well. Thank you!!

    vrisika
    January 12, 2010 at 5:12 am

    easy and simple recipe.Did try once , it did turn out well.Thanks

    mayanka
    December 30, 2009 at 9:52 pm

    gr8 dish b coz less material is required
    to good chat
    feel to eat it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Ani
    December 7, 2009 at 11:27 pm

    hi mam,
    is salt not required for making vada?

    manpreet
    October 12, 2009 at 9:01 am

    very gud recipies……..plz add some more..cakes and pasteries…:)..and punjabi dishes/…

    Khusi
    September 14, 2009 at 5:25 pm

    Mam,
    I don,t know why but my vadas are getting hard so what should i do for making it soft.

      Manjula Jain
      September 14, 2009 at 7:35 pm

      Hello Khusi,
      Make sure blend dal to very creamy texture, Whip dal batter until batter will become light and fluffy. Lastly make sure you dont have too much oil in frying pan.

      Swati Joshi
      October 30, 2009 at 5:02 pm

      Hi,
      You can make vadas with just urad dal .. this will make them very soft .. All the best .. !!

    Shakila
    September 12, 2009 at 11:42 pm

    hi mam…
    thanks a lot for all your recipes..i m from Bangladesh and i like indian food very much and your website help me a lot to make yummy dishes….

    thank you

    John
    September 7, 2009 at 8:44 pm

    I truly appreciate your videos. They are so informative, concise, and enjoyable.

    Thank you!

    sahana
    August 27, 2009 at 12:16 am

    hi majula aunty,

    i am sahana, very fond of to go through ur recipes. they are very nice and as per my and my family member’s taste thank u very much.

    can you tell me where i can get the puff pastry sheets in bangalore like the one’s we get in australian super bazaars.please

    ok

    bye for now

    sahana

    maham
    August 20, 2009 at 10:08 pm

    hey!!!!! absolutely fabulous recipes!!!!!! u shud have an restaurant!!!! i appreciate u!!!!! for making such a nice food!!!!!

    Prerna
    August 12, 2009 at 8:37 pm

    Thank you Aunty for your reply. I have one more question: I don’t have Moong dal. Is it ok to use Channa dal or Masoor dal in its place?
    Thanks! 🙂

    Prerna
    August 11, 2009 at 4:41 am

    Hello Aunty! I’m looking forward to trying this recipe out.
    I just have a question: In the written recipe, it is said that the vedas need to be soaked in warm water for 20 mins, but in the video you said to soak for 2-3 mins.
    So how long should I soak them for?
    Waiting your reply.
    Thank you!

      Manjula Jain
      August 11, 2009 at 12:12 pm

      Hi Prena,
      Thank you for pointing out my mistake the fresh vada you need to soak just for 2 to 3 minutes but after refrigerating they should be soaked after 20 minutes.

    anand
    August 9, 2009 at 12:10 am

    Its wonderful. thankyou for sharing this recipe.
    anand
    BPO Solution

    sushmita
    June 24, 2009 at 3:08 pm

    i tried ur dahi vada.it was very yummy.thanks to u for sharing a wonderful recipe.

    Carol
    June 16, 2009 at 11:27 am

    Hello,
    I bought some Panch Phoran because of a recipe I wanted to make and now I cannot find that recipe. Manjula, I thought for
    sure the recipe was on your site. Can you tell me which one it is? I love your recipes and the videos helps so much. Thank you.
    Carol

    kavita
    May 20, 2009 at 7:37 pm

    hello aunty,
    thank you very much for that videos.

    kavita
    May 20, 2009 at 7:32 pm

    thank you very much manjula aunty for that videos.

    BIN
    May 9, 2009 at 10:40 pm

    I am chinese and love this. SO I cooked it according to your recipe and it tastes very goods. My 2 years old sons also love it, even eat it dry without yogurt.

    I have a question is that my dumpings are not perfect round and uniform. The shape is not as round as yours.

    Did I do anything wrong?

    I will try this recipe again.

    gayetri
    May 5, 2009 at 4:02 am

    aunty jee, i lov dahi vada and other spicy dishes.
    obviously i will try to cook it up .

    thanxs a lot for such a great VEGETARIAN SITE OF INDIA DISHES. i will tell my all friends about this site. thank u , once again . its a blessing for vegetarian people .

    Purvi
    May 4, 2009 at 12:16 pm

    Namaste Manjula-ji,

    I am not comfortable with frying foods – mostly my fried food ends up soaking in oil. So I had not tried dahi vada (although its my husband’s favourite) I got your dahi vada recipe from another food blog – http://thespicewholovedme.blogspot.com/search?q=dahi+vada and thought of giving it a try.

    I followed your recipe verbatim and the vadas turned out GREAT! My husband loved them and has asked me to make them AGAIN. Moreover, they were much quicker to make than I anticipated and hence totally repeatable for me.

    Thank you so much for the recipe and most specially for the video.

    Also in the video you show a tip to start frying the vadas – you put the whisked batter in water and it rises up. Can you please include this in the steps also? I think this was a super useful tip 🙂

    Thanks so much once again.

    Namaste,
    Purvi

    joe daniels
    April 15, 2009 at 9:27 pm

    Dear Manjula
    Have you published a book with all your great recipes.
    And how and where can it be purchased
    Thanks alot God bless you.
    Joe

      Manjula Jain
      April 15, 2009 at 10:41 pm

      Hello Joe, Thank you, I am working on it.

        Lakshmi Kary
        June 16, 2009 at 6:43 pm

        Im looking forward to your books. But the videos really make the difference as you make everything look easy! and exciting to try… you are a good teacher..
        Im happy if you can include more lentil,dahl, wada, bada,south, north, etc patties, of sorts.
        especially if they arent fried. Im looking for sources of protien that can be included in childrens/husbands lunches, dahl is too difficult for them to take.
        I met one lady who premade little badas and froze them, then she just took some out added some sauce with rice for a fast meal. Do you have more recipes for bitter melon?
        thanks again, appreciate your sharing, and your website is looking nicer and nicer. I can definetly see you on TV someday.! You would be a big hit, best thing is you are vegetarian cook. All the best, your fan.

    dr r
    April 4, 2009 at 10:52 pm

    tried your dahivada with 3/4 urd 1/4 moong they tasted very nice but were not very very soft though they were soft what to do.

      Jaya
      April 5, 2009 at 3:53 pm

      1) soak the dal at least overnight,
      2) grind the dal very finely til it’s like babyfood,
      3) whip the ground dal with a whisk to aerate it well before making the vadas and deep frying.

      Other than that, they should be very soft in the yougurt if you followed all of the other steps.

    anu
    April 3, 2009 at 9:04 pm

    hi aunty! i tried these vadas
    nd they were very delicious!!
    keep posting new recipes 🙂
    happy navratri!
    love
    anu

    Priti
    March 30, 2009 at 5:11 pm

    All Gujarati’s always add Sugar in everything.

    roona
    March 26, 2009 at 6:53 am

    hi aunty, i have been prepairing dahi vada with only urd dal they used to be bit hard also , i never used to whip the batter so
    much, today i will try your recepe with 3/4 urd and 1/3 moong.your recipe sounds good.

    Rachel
    March 13, 2009 at 8:06 am

    Hello Aunty,

    Made dahi vadas this evening however they were a little rubbery and a few weren’t cooked inside.I had used only Urad dal.Where do u think I went wrong?
    Please advice.
    Rachel

      Jaya
      March 13, 2009 at 3:05 pm

      You need to fry them longer if they are still uncooked in the center.

    Suki
    February 25, 2009 at 5:54 am

    Hi, I came across your site while hunting for pictures of Dahi Vada, so I could put up my own recipe. I’ve linked the pic to your site, and am also linking up to this post from my own.
    I’ll definitely try out the dahi-free dahi vada sometime, sounds lovely!

    Abhilasha
    December 27, 2008 at 8:46 pm

    Hi Auntiji
    I tried your recipe..i had a small problem..my batter came out little thin..it was my mistake. So I added some rice flour to make it thick, vada came out ok, we enjoyed. I was happy for not throwing whole batter. After all cooking is trying new things.:)
    Thank you.

    Jaya
    November 24, 2008 at 3:59 pm

    Thanks for the reply Falguni. It’s helpful to know where people are from and how it influences their cooking. Knowing you are Gujarati explains the sugar.

    I cook in the style of U.P. mostly, but I like to know other regional styles also. 🙂

    falguni
    November 24, 2008 at 2:48 pm

    hi jaya,

    in the north indian style dahi vadas, no sugar is added to yogurt (dahi)

    we are gujaratis – both my mother & m-i-l add powdered sugar to taste to the yogurt. they also do a vaghaar on the yogurt after whipping it. place little oil in a pan, add jeera, green chilli pieces, kadhipatta & add this vaghaar to the yogurt.

    dahi gets a sweet flavor because of sugar & vaghaar adds a very nice fragrance & spice to the dahi.

    then this dahi is used to top on dahi vadas.

    If you want to try this, when you make dahi vadas next time, you can try this on a cupful of dahi & taste the difference between both the yogurt tastes.

    My family has tasted both the yogurts & they like the yogurt that has the vaghaar & is sweet.

    Jaya
    November 24, 2008 at 12:19 pm

    I have never heard of putting powdered sugar with dahi vadas to make them sweet. Is this Indian style or from elsewhere you got this idea?

    falguni
    November 24, 2008 at 7:11 am

    hi,

    if you like dahi vadas that are lot more moist & dahi (yogurt) flavored…dip vadas in the dahi (yogurt) well in advance.

    If you are going to have them as an evening dessert or dinner side-dish, then dip the vadas in ample yogurt in the morning & place the bowl in the refrigerator. By evening, the vadas will soak lot more yogurt & they will be moist & yogurt flavored right to the core. The toppings can be done before serving.

    If you like to serve it as a sweet dish, then add powdered sugar to taste to the whipped yogurt to make the yogurt taste little sweeter than its fresh bland taste.
    then dip the vadas in this sweet yogurt & top with dhania & tamarind sweet n sour chutneys, sprinkle little salt, red chilli powder, pepper powder, jeera powder as per flavors that your family enjoys..

    sunita
    October 29, 2008 at 6:39 am

    hi aunty ,
    just wanted to wish u a very HAPPY DIWALI
    love

    kavitha
    October 27, 2008 at 6:57 am

    Hi Jaya,

    Thank you for your suggestion. I will definetly try again and reply back.

    kavitha

    Jaya
    October 26, 2008 at 4:42 pm

    Hi Kavitha,
    Use enough water to allow you to grind the dal to a creamy, but not watery consistency.
    Before you begin frying, whip the batter rapidly for a minute with a spoon or whisk to aerate the batter. Drop a pea sized portion of batter into a glass of water and it should rise immediately.

    The reason for them to be dry and rubbery could be that the batter was too dry and not whipped enough before frying.

    Try again and reply back if you are still having problems.

    Jaya A.

    kavitha
    October 26, 2008 at 4:07 pm

    Hi Aunty,

    I tried making this vada using very less water while grinding. Infact it took less water than you recommended. The yogurt would not soak the vada at all. Inside it turned out very dry and rubbery. I cannot think of anything else other than using little less water for grinding.

    city of sails
    September 13, 2008 at 3:58 am

    Hi Manjula
    I was too excited to see video ” How to make vadas ” which is my passion. I am gonna to try your recepie. Hopefully will turn out well.Thanks a lot for this wonderful effort. God Bless you .
    cheers

    ayesha sajid
    August 28, 2008 at 6:25 am

    i tried this recipe two days back and it was awesome… turned out to be PERFECT… the only alteration i did, was, adding salt n chilli pwdr to the batter, added sugar to the dahi (very lil salt) and then beat it well and while serving, i made mithi chatni plus hari chatni… and served the dahi vada decorated wid both the chutneys… thanks a ton…
    PS also thanks for the chutney recipe. making the imli ki mithi chutney is so much easier this way… thanka!!!

    ayesha sajid
    August 24, 2008 at 5:24 am

    aww jaya thanks a ton for the quick reply… i think m gonna try this tmrw itself.. will definitely let u know how they were… [:)]

    Jaya
    August 23, 2008 at 2:59 pm

    Hi Ayesha,
    Good question.
    I DO add salt and red chili powder to my vada batter. 🙂

    ayesha sajid
    August 23, 2008 at 12:31 pm

    thanks jaya for ur reply…
    another question that crossed my mind… no salt in the vada batter???

    Jaya
    August 23, 2008 at 5:50 am

    Hi Ayesha,
    You can use moong and urad dal as shown in the recipe -or- change the dal proportions to your liking. The urad dal alone is the traditional flavor, but some people find it harder on the tummy so the moong dal addition helps with that. Happy Cooking. 🙂

    ayesha sajid
    August 22, 2008 at 9:09 pm

    dear manjula aunty
    i am new here bt i just wanna congratulate u on the wonderful work ur doin. ur recipes look awesome and simple. m gonna try these dahi baday soon…
    just a query here… what difference will it make if i change the proportions of the dals or if i wanna make it with just urad dal.. as i hav seen ppl doin that…
    thanks n regards
    ayesha sajid.

    Jaya
    August 3, 2008 at 3:52 pm

    Dear Manjula Aunty,
    I finally made time to make dahi vadas and they turn out very well. Today is Sunday so I turned lunch into “chaat” with dahi vadas, chhole, and poori.
    It was yummy. Wish I could have shared it with you. 🙂

    Manjula Jain
    July 29, 2008 at 8:31 pm

    Hi priti,
    In dahi vada the proportion of dals can be different, and that will work fine.

    Priti
    July 29, 2008 at 7:33 pm

    Namaste anuty, what if I dont have a measuring cup. If I have small bowl. I took 1/4 utad dal and two small bowls ( katori) of moong dal. Will my bater still come out good. Plz reply.
    regards
    Priti

    resham
    July 28, 2008 at 6:47 pm

    auntyji…yummy yummyy…

    i have gained more that 12 pounds!!!! evrytym u post a new recipie n i try n eat…thn it becomes regular in our diner….mera kya hoga…m becoming fat!!!!!

    thnks 4 the recipie….

    Maher
    July 7, 2008 at 10:53 pm

    Thank You So Much Aunty,for replying my querry.I tried the dahi vadas as mentioned in the recipe,and they turned out to be really really great.All my inlaws were impressed.Thank You So Much.

    Shehla
    July 7, 2008 at 2:33 pm

    Dear Aunty,
    I tried the vadas and they were marvellous.
    Thanks a million.

    manju arora
    June 21, 2008 at 4:35 am

    gr8 method for nice soft vadas,,good

    Manjula Jain
    June 13, 2008 at 8:37 pm

    Hi Maher, adding baking soda will make too soft and break. while frying vadas will soak eoo much oil.

    Maher
    June 13, 2008 at 12:56 am

    Hello Manjula Aunty,
    Thanks for posting such tasty recipes for learners like me.I would like to know that dont we have to add soda to the vadas batter in order to make them soft.Will they turn out to be more soft if we add or will it spoil them.

    Mrs. Naveed
    June 9, 2008 at 10:30 pm

    Hi manjula,
    I like ur recipes a lot, especially recipes of samosas and rasgulla. I am just wondering if you have a recipe of chaat masala?
    Thanks a lot

    nasrin
    May 21, 2008 at 6:29 pm

    HI MANJULA AUNTY, YOUR R WONDERFUL.U GIVE US VERY NICE AND EASY RECIPE .TODAY I MAKE DAHI VADS AND IT’S COME VERY NICE AND TEASTY .THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR VERY EASY RECIPE.
    NASRIN

    nasrin
    May 16, 2008 at 6:45 pm

    hello manjula aunty, i see your recipe and looks good .but u not put salt in batter .u forget or we not need add salt ? why?

    Manjula Jain
    May 12, 2008 at 9:52 am

    Hello Preeti, yes you can add cashwe , raisins, green chili to dahi vada it will taste great.
    About Samosa and Kachori microwave is bad idea. you can freeze then half cook, difreset them and refry or heat in oven ot toaster oven.

    preeti
    May 11, 2008 at 10:51 pm

    Hello Manjula aunty,
    I keep on watching your recipes …. i want to ask you that can i add some cashwe nuts and raisins in vadas ? Also want to ask you one thing about kachoris and samosas ….

    i make more kachoris and samosas at a time and i freeze them . After making if i eat immidietely those are very tasty but once i freeze and later when i reheat in microwave those kachoris and samosas leave too much oil and become so oily . Would you suggest me how i can solve this thing . Should i put less oil while kneading dough ?

    Manjula Jain
    April 14, 2008 at 9:13 am

    Hello Kirti, you can use any proportion of urad and moong dal will work fine but moong dal is easy to digest. But more urad dal gives creamy texture.

    Kirti
    April 13, 2008 at 11:59 pm

    hello manjula aunty,
    i wanted to know if we can also make dahi wadas by using 3/4th cup urad dal and 1/4th cup of muug dal. what would be the difference? which ones would be lighter to digest?

    minu
    April 9, 2008 at 10:11 am

    your style of making dahi wada is so simple and delicious that i can’t express
    in words. i also made jalebis with your style,it was just marvelous.my husband and both kids thanks me for both items…..but these thanks i am transferring to u
    only THANK YOU AUNTY

    geena
    April 9, 2008 at 9:40 am

    Manjulaji:
    I found your recipe videos while searching for Dahi vada. I love your presentation and want to try the recipes.
    thank you
    geena

    Sonia
    April 3, 2008 at 2:01 pm

    You are simply genius.I love all your recipes.

    Kirti
    March 26, 2008 at 1:09 pm

    Thankyou so much for this easy recipe alongwith the detailed demonstration. I tried out these dahi vadas today for dinner and followed your method exactly And they really came out quite well.Me and my husband relished them with the tamarind chutney. I will surely try to make them again!

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