Dahi Vada (Dahi Bhalla Chaat)

This favorite Dahi Vada or Dahi Bhalla recipe has the softest lentil fritters drenched in creamy yogurt and topped with sweet and spicy chutneys. This popular Indian street food is loved by all and is a perfect inclusion to any festive menu!

Dahi Vada is popular all over India, but especially in North India. It can be served as an appetizer/snack, as a Dahi Bhalla Chaat, or as a side dish with dinner. This dish is naturally vegetarian and gluten-free. It can be made vegan by using vegan yogurt.

Dahi Vada was my most favorite Indian chaat dish growing up. My mom made it often, and the whole family enjoyed it. Her recipe was always requested as the Vada’s always came out so soft and pillowy. They would just melt in the mouth. Top them with Tamarind Chutney (my fav), mint cilantro chutney, some roasted cumin powder, and mild chili powder, and you have the best dish here. Okay…I am drooling just talking about it.

When I moved to the US and started making Dahi Vada, I had to get her secret tips and recipe. I have been using this recipe to make Dahi Bhalla for pretty much every potluck or party I attend or host. Dahi Bhalla is the dish permanently assigned to me!

So today, I am sharing my mom’s detailed recipe with all the tips and tricks with you.

What is Dahi Vada?

Dahi Vada is lentil fritters soaked in yogurt. Dahi is “yogurt” and Vada is “deep fried lentil fritters”. It is a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth kind of dish.

The lentil fritters are soaked in water so they soften. Then they are dunked in creamy whisked yogurt and topped with chutney and spices. The most common are tamarind chutney and green chutney. We also sprinkle some roasted ground cumin, red chili powder and top with cilantro.  Some people like to sprinkle some chaat masala and pomegranate seeds.

Dahi Vada is also known as “dahi baray” in Marathi, dahi bhalla in Punjabi, thayir vadai in Tamil, thairu vada in Malayalam, perugu vada in Telugu, mosaru vade in Kannada, dahi bara in Odia and doi bora in Bengali. This street food is also very popular in Pakistan.

Dahi Bhalla is a popular snacky street food, served as Dahi Bhalla Chaat. It can also be enjoyed as a side dish in an Indian meal. We always made Dahi Bhalla during the festivals such as Diwali and Holi. Another popular street food is Mumbai Vada Pav, which with a potato fritter in a dinner roll along with the chutneys.

What is the Difference between Dahi Bhalla and Dahi Vada?

As mentioned above, Dahi Bhalla and Dahi Vada are the same dish. Dahi Bhalle is the common term in the northern part of India, while in Southern India, Vada is the common term. Vada is also made in a donut shape, but for eating it with yogurt, it is typically made as a lentil ball.

How to make Dahi Vada?

Dahi Vada Ingredients

To make the Dahi Vada, there are 3 main ingredients plus the chutneys to assemble the final dish.

1. Urad Dal (Split Skinned Black Gram Lentils)
2. Moong Dal (Split Yellow Moong Lentils)
3. Yogurt
4. Tamarind Chutney
5. Mint Cilantro Chutney – this one can be skipped in a pinch.

The good news is that the chutneys can be prepared separately or in advance of preparing the Dahi Vada.

Making Dahi Vada needs planning, as you need to soak the lentils for few hours before you can proceed to make the batter and Vada’s.

Step 1: Soak the Lentils

Take the lentils in a large bowl and wash them a few times until the water runs clear. Soak them overnight. If you are in a pinch, you can soak them in warm water for 4 hours.

You can soak both lentils together; they need not be soaked separately, such as in the idli recipe.

Step 2: Make the batter

Drain the soaking water. Add ginger, green chili pepper, salt, and lentils to a blender, such as a Vitamix. Grind on low to medium speed to form an almost smooth batter. The batter should be thick and have a dropping consistency. Remove in a large bowl. 

To make soft dahi vada, it is important to whip the lentil batter vigorously to make it light and fluffy. You can do that with a spoon or ladle.

To determine whether the batter is ready to make vada, drop a small ball of the batter with a spoon into a bowl filled with water. If the ball immediately starts to float on top, the batter is ready to make vada.

Some people add baking soda to their batter. I never had to add it to get soft vadas.

Step 3: Prepare Vada

Heat oil in a wok or kadhai. Make sure the oil is hot before making the Vada’s. You can check by dropping a single drop of the batter; it should rise to the top of the oil immediately. After the oil is hot, reduce to medium heat.

Here is my mom’s trick for making lentil balls easily using a spoon. Put water in a small bowl. Dip a large spoon in water, then add batter to the spoon and drop it in the hot oil. Now, before making the next vada, dip the spoon in water again and add the batter. Repeat for each vada.

You can also make the vada by scooping the batter with your hand (very carefully) or with an ice cream scoop.

When you drop the Vada’s in the oil, then keep pouring oil over them using a ladle.

When the Vada’s look cooked (golden brown in color) are done on one side, flip them over with a ladle.

When the other side is done, take them out in a bowl lined with a tissue to soak the oil.

Fry in batches. Do not overcrowd when frying the Vadas.

Here is what used to happen (or still happens) at my place. Once the Vada’s are made, half used to get eaten just as is with chutney or tomato ketchup. Oh…these are so good. Serve hot!

But don’t get carried away and eat all of them; save some for the real treat – Dahi Bhalla!

Step 4: Soak the Vada’s

Now, soak the vadas in lukewarm water as soon as they are fried (I mean the leftovers;-)). Soak for about 15 minutes. The vadas will soak up the water, double in size, and become super soft.

Now, take each vada and gently press in between your palms to remove excess water.

Do this for all the vadas you plan to add to yogurt immediately. If you want to save for later, see the storing instructions below.

Step 5: Assemble the Dahi Vada

Whisk the yogurt and season it with salt and sugar. I used yogurt made in the instant pot. Sugar is optional but highly recommended. 🙂 You want to use cold, chilled yogurt here.

You want to have the chutneys and spices ready. Coriander leaves chopped.

Place the soft Vada’s from step 4 in a bowl. Pour the yogurt over them so they are all covered with the yogurt. Drop the chutneys over them and sprinkle the spices. Garnish with some cilantro.

My favorite is to add tamarind chutney (tamarind date Chutney works great, too) and roasted cumin powder.

You can refrigerate this for 1-2 hours so the lentil balls soak in the yogurt.

You can top the dahi vada with some thin nylon sev and papdi just before serving if you like.

Tips to make the softest Dahi Bhalla

1. Use the suggested lentil ratio to make the Bhalla.
2. Whisk the batter well before making the vada. Whisking incorporates air into the batter, which makes the Bhalla’s turn out light and airy.
3. The oil in which the vada is fried should be hot. Do not fry bhallas in cold oil, as they will fall flat. Fry the vada on medium heat so that the center is well cooked.
4. Do not overcrowd the vadas when frying, as they expand a bit when frying.

How to store Dahi Vada?

If you are not going to use up all the vadas, you can store them in a ziploc bag or airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. After removing the vadas from the oil, cool them to room temperature before storing them. Do not soak the vadas that you want to store in water.

Dahi Bhallas stays good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To use frozen vada, thaw them in the fridge. (see next section for how to use)

Pro-tip: I always make more and store these vadas to enjoy all week. My daughter loves them, so why not have this healthy snack available?

How to use stored Dahi Vada? How to make hard Dahi Vada soft?

In a large saucepan, boil an ample amount of water and turn off the flame. Add the stored (or thawed) vada to the hot water and let it rest for a minimum of 15-20 minutes.

If you have time, let them cool down in water. Take out each vada and gently press it between your palms. Now, it is ready to add to yogurt.

If you are in a hurry, then after 15-20 minutes, add cold water to the bowl. Once the Vada’s are cool enough, pick each one and press gently. Continue with adding to yogurt.

Now you have all the best tips and tricks to make the softest Dahi Vada. I hope you make them soon and share them with family and friends! 

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