Mr. and Mrs. Adhikaris' Wonderful Indian Dahi Vadas from Orissa

Charishma_Ramchandani's Note:

Mr. and Mrs. Soma Adhikari were two of my most special teachers in junior school. They loved me a lot and wrote wonderful autographs in my autograph book. I miss them A LOT! This recipe was Mrs. Adhikari's specialty! I sincerely hope you enjoy it!

• Total Time: 7 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 7 hrs
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 10 dahi va ...

• 2 cups white Urad Dal
• 1/2 cup water
• 400 g plain low-fat yogurt, beaten
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
• 4 fresh curry leaves, washed and torn between the palms of your hands
• 2 green chilies, washed
• salt
• oil, to deep fry
• 2 medium finely chopped onions, to garnish
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves, to garnish
• 2 tablespoons of sweet chutney, to garnish (meethi)

Directions:

1. Soak white lentils (urad dal) in plenty of water.
2. Grind it (it should not be ground so fine and dry) in the mixer.
3. Add a pinch of salt and keep it on the kitchen countertop for 5-6 hours.
4. Dip your palm in water and take a small quantity (the size of your palm) of the ground dal on the palm of your hand.
5. Make a hole in the center of the dal mixture on your palm.
6. Heat oil in a wok on high flame.
7. Once its hot, put the dal mixture on your palm into the hot oil, very gently.
8. Fry it in hot oil on both sides until golden brown (on both sides).
9. Drain on clean paper kitchen napkins.
10. Keep aside.
11. This is the"vada" which is now ready.
12. Likewise, prepare all the vadas out of the dal mixture.
13. Then dip the vadas in a bowl filled with cold water so that the excess oil comes out.
14. After 2-3 minutes, take the vadas out of the cold water.
15. Press lightly on the palm of your hand so that the water comes out of the vadas.
16. Keep aside.
17. Now, take the beaten yogurt in a bowl.
18. Add sugar, red chilli powder and salt.
19. Beat for 5 minutes.
20. Then add 1/2 cup of water to make the consistency of the yogurt thin.
21. Keep aside.
22. Now heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan.
23. Add mustard seeds.
24. When they start crackling, add cumin seeds, green chillies and curry leaves.
25. Allow the cumin seeds to splutter and the curry leaves to sizzle, stir-frying continuously.
26. Once they stop doing so, remove the pan from heat.
27. Add this seasoning to the bowl of beaten yogurt.
28. Refrigerate the bowl of yogurt.
29. Two hours prior to serving time, dip the vadas in the bowl of beaten yogurt.
30. Gently turn them over so as to coat the vadas with the yogurt mixture on either side.
31. Garnish the dahi vadas with finely chopped onions, meethi chutney and coriander leaves.
32. Serve this as a side-dish with a spicy curry or vegetable for a complete meal!