Dahi Vada and Potluck

I am becoming rather proud of culinary skills lately. I have graduated from just cooking for J and my family to now cooking for big groups of people. Last Sunday DS and Y hosted a Potluck in their backyard and I cooked up a big batch of dahi vada and people actually enjoyed it.

In fact I overheard this conversation between DS and Y

DS: This is great, Did X make this ?

Y: No , this is the dish N and J brought

DS: N made this , really , wow!

The setting was really fun, they had set up a long picnic bench and it felt like this big family meal outdoors. There were Italian dishes, tapas, mac and cheese, shortbread cookies and Tempeh and also DS’s homebrew. After dinner Y and I watched her wedding video and the boys made fun of us.  Also I got an email from DS saying that they will be hosting every sunday , so it will become a summer tradition.

Anyway to celebrate the summer season, I am posting a recipe for Dahi Vada( Dough balls in Yoghurt): A yummy, chilled summer snack

Dahi Vada ( Makes 6 small portions)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups Urad Daal without skin (black lentils)
• Salt to taste
• 2″ piece of ginger grated
• 2 green chillies chopped very fine
• Vegetable/ canola/ sunflower oil for deep frying
• 3 cups thick fresh yoghurt (should not be sour)
• Red chilli powder to taste
• 1 tbsp chaat masala
• 2 tsps cumin seeds roasted gently and ground into a fine powder
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• Chopped corainder leaves to garnish

Preparation

Soak the urad daal in a bowl of water overnight. Grind it into a paste the next morning. Do not add any water while grinding.

Add the green chillies and ginger to this paste.

Mix 1 cup of yoghurt with 2 cups of water and salt to taste

Keep aside.

In another bowl mix the remaining yoghurt with the red chilli powder, chaat masala, cumin powder, sugar and salt to taste. Mix well. Keep aside.

Heat oil for deep frying on a medium flame. Grease your palms with oil and put 1 tbsp of the lentil mix in your palm. Make into a donut shape (these are the vadas).

Slide each vada into the hot oil and fry till light golden. Drain and put immediately into the yoghurt/water mix. Allow to soak for 2-3 minutes.

Remove from the yoghurt/water mix and press gently between your palms. Arrange these vadas in a deep platter as you prepare them.

When all urad daal paste is used up and the the vadas are done as above and in the platter, pour the thick yoghurt mix over them to cover completely.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

To serve, put 1 or 2 Dahi Vadas in a plate and garnish with Tamarind Chutney and green Mint-coriander Chutney. (optional)