Appetizers & Snacksbonappetit5.0
Dahi Bhalla
Dahi bhalla, also known as dahi vada, are a beloved Indian snack of fried lentil dumplings soaked in seasoned yogurt, tamarind, and chaat masala.
👥 4 Servings👤 Rachel Gurjar📖 bonappetit
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●bowl
- ●blender
- ●oven
- ●pot
- ●dutch oven
- ●baking sheet
- ●whisk
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Rinse 1 cup urad dal in a fine-mesh sieve and place in a medium bowl. Pour in room-temperature water to cover and soak until dal is softened, at least ⏱️ 5 hours and up to ⏱️ 12 hours.
urad dal1 cup
2
Drain dal and transfer to a blender. Add 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt and ½ cup water and blend until smooth. (Take a pea-size amount of purée between your fingers and rub to ensure it is not grainy and there are no chunks; blend longer if needed.) Transfer purée to a container with enough space for mixture to rise. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a lid, place in an oven proofer set at 115°, and let ferment until double in size, 3–⏱️ 4 hours. (Alternatively, proof in your oven set to 115° or lowest setting or proof in a really warm spot in your kitchen.)
3
Gently stir dough to combine. Pour vegetable oil into a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot fitted with thermometer to come 3" up sides (about 4 quarts) and heat over medium until thermometer registers 350°.
Vegetable oil (for frying; about 4 quarts)
4
Using a #24 cookie scoop (about 2½ Tbsp.) or 2 medium spoons and working in 4 or 5 batches, carefully drop pieces of dough into oil (they will sink at first, but then float to the surface). Cook, pushing down, pouring oil over, and turning (this will ensure they puff up and are hollow in the center), until deep golden brown, 9–⏱️ 11 minutes. Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer vadas to paper towels and let drain.
5
Combine 3 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. plus 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt and 4 quarts hot water in a large bowl. Add vadas and let soak until rehydrated, pale, and only slightly firm, about ⏱️ 30 minutes. Working one at a time, remove vadas from water and press in your hand to release water (they will break slightly and flatten). Transfer to a baking sheet.
6
Whisk 2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt (not Greek), 6 Tbsp. sugar, and remaining 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a small bowl until sugar and salt are dissolved.
plain whole-milk yogurt (not Greek)2 cups. sugar6 Tbsp
7
Spread most of sweetened yogurt over a platter and place vadas in a single layer on top. Drizzle remaining sweetened yogurt over, then 1 cup tamarind purée and 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice. Sprinkle generously with cayenne pepper and chaat masala and scatter cilantro leaves with tender stems on top.
tamarind purée1 cup. fresh lime juice2 TbspCayenne pepper, chaat masala, and cilantro leaves with tender stems (for serving)
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