2 teaspoons chopped curry leaves or 7 to 8 curry leaves, chopped
1-inch ginger, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
salt as required
Other Ingredients For Dahi Vada
oil for deep frying, as required
warm water for soaking vadas, as required
For Coconut Paste
¼ cup fresh grated coconut
1 green chilli, roughly chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons water for grinding
For Curd Mixture
2 cups fresh chilled curd
salt as required
For Tempering Dahi Vada
1 tablespoon oil
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
6 to 7 curry leaves, chopped or whole
1 dry red chilli, broken and seeds removed
For Garnishing Dahi Vada
1 to 2 pinches of red chilli powder
2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves
Steps:
Rinse 1 cup urad dal a couple of times in water. Then soak the urad dal in 2 cups of water overnight or for at least 4-5 hours.
Later drain all the soaked water.
Add the urad dal to a grinder jar.
Add salt as required.
Grind to a smooth fluffy batter.
Take the ground batter into a bowl. Add 1 green chilli (finely chopped), 2 teaspoons chopped curry leaves, and 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger.
Briskly & vigorously stir the batter for a minute or two with a spoon or spatula.
Frying Vada
Heat oil for deep frying in a Kadai or pan.
Now wet your palms with water and take some batter in your right palm. With the help of the left hand, shape the batter first.
Then make a hole in the centre with a thumb.
Gently slid the doughnut-shaped vadai into the medium hot oil.
Make other vadas this way and then add them to the Kadai.
When the base is light golden, turn it over with a slotted spoon and continue to fry the vadas.
Turn over a couple of times and fry the vadas till they are crisp and golden. Continue to fry the vadas in batches till crisp and golden.
Drain the medu vadas on kitchen paper tissues to remove excess oil.
When they are still hot, add the vadas to warm water and let them soak for 15-20 minutes.
Making Coconut Paste
In a small chutney grinder jar, add ¼ cup fresh grated coconut and 1 green chilli, roughly chopped.
Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
Making Curd Mixture
In another bowl, take 2 cups of chilled curd. Add salt as per taste.
With a wired whisk mix and whip the curd till smooth.
Now add the ground coconut+green chilli paste.
Mix again very well. Check the taste and add more salt if required.
Tempering Curd Mixture
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small pan or tadka pan.
Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and let them crackle.
When the mustard seeds finish crackling, then add 6 to 7 curry leaves, (chopped or whole) and 1 dry red chilli (broken and seeds removed). Mix well and fry for a few seconds till the red chillies change colour. To ensure that the red chillies do not burn.
Now add the tempering mixture to the curd.
Mix very well.
Making Dahi Vada
After soaking the vadas will soften, increase a bit in size as well as their colour will change.
Press each soaked vada between your palms to remove water. Gently press or else you might end up breaking them.
Press all the soaked vadas this way and arrange them in a platter, tray, or bowl.
Pour the tempered curd on the vadas. allow the vadas to absorb the curd for a minimum of 30 minutes or a few hours. If keeping for 3 to 4 hours, then cover and refrigerate.
Before serving, sprinkle some red chilli powder on top.
Then sprinkle some finely chopped coriander leaves.
Serve Daha vada. Leftover Dahi vada can be refrigerated.
Recipe (split urad dal curry):
Ingredients:
1 cup urad dal split black gram
1 large onion finely chopped
6-8 cloves of garlic finely chopped or minced
1 -2 green chillis finely chopped or minced
1-inch ginger peeled finely chopped or minced
1 medium tomato finely chopped or pureed
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp garam masala
⅛ tsp asafetida optional
1 -1¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp ghee or oil
4 -5 cups of water
For Tempering:
1 tsp oil or ghee
1 -2 cloves garlic finely sliced
1 dry red chilli
Steps of making curry:
Wash and soak split urad dal in 2 cups of warm water for at least 30 minutes.
Add the soaked dal with the water into a pressure cooker. Add turmeric powder.
Close the pressure cooker properly. Place it over medium heat.
Let the dal cook for 3-4 whistles.
Allow the pressure cooker to cool down before opening the lid.
In another saucepan, heat oil or ghee over medium heat.
Add mustard seeds. As soon as they begin to pop, add cumin seeds.
Add asafetida and onion and stir fry till it becomes light brown.
Add garlic and stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
Add green chillies and ginger. Stir fry for a minute.
Add the tomato and salt.
Mix well, cover the pan and allow the tomato to cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the cooked urad dal with the water and also the remaining water.
Mash the dal lightly with a masher for a creamier texture.
Mix well. Let it simmer over low to medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
Remember to stir it frequently so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Add garam masala and mix well.
Steps of the Tempering:
Heat 1 tsp of ghee or oil in a small pan and place it over low heat.
Add sliced garlic and stir fry till it begins to turn brown.
Add the red chilli, stir fry it and remove the pan from the heat.
Add the tempering to the urad dal or curry.
Garnish with chopped coriander and serve it hot with rice or roti or naan.
Recipe (split urad dal Laddu):
Ingredients:
1 cup urad dal (black gram)
⅓ Cup sugar.
⅓ cup ghee at room temperature
3 to 4 green cardamoms (Choti elaichi)
Roasting And Preparing Urad Dal Flour:
Heat a thick-bottomed pan or kadhai on a low flame. Then add 1 cup urad dal to it.
Keep the flame on low or sim and begin to roast the dal.
Continue to stir often while roasting. Keep on roasting and stirring for even browning and cooking.
The dal needs to be golden and become aromatic.
Keep on stirring without a break once the dal begins to get light golden.
When the urad dal becomes golden, then cool them in the pan itself or you can remove the dal on a plate and let it cool.
Once the urad dal has become warm or cooled down, add them to a grinder jar. Also, add cardamom seeds removed from 3 to 4 green cardamom pods.
Grind to a fine powder.
Now take the urad dal flour into a fine sieve.
Begin to sift the flour on a plate or tray or a large bowl or pan.
Keep the sifted urad dal flour aside.
Grinding Sugar:
In the same grinder, add 1/3 cup sugar.
Grind sugar to a fine powder.
kali dal
Ingredients:
1 cup whole urad dal (black lentils)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, pureed – yields approx 1 cup tomato puree
2 to 3 medium garlic cloves – crushed
1-inch ginger – crushed
1 green chilli – finely chopped
1 teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
½ teaspoon red chilli powder (or cayenne pepper or paprika)
¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
1 tablespoon oil or ghee or butter
3 to 3.5 cups of water
salt as required
coriander leaves for garnishing
Steps:
Soaking Lentils
Pick the urad dal and rinse in water 2-3 times and soak it in water for 30 to 40 minutes.
Later drain the soaked urad dal.
Making Kali Dal
Heat ghee in a Kadai or pan. Add the cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add chopped onions. Fry the onions till brown.
Add the pureed tomatoes and mix well.
Add the crushed ginger-garlic or ginger-garlic paste.
Add all the dry spice powders. Add chopped green chillies.
Saute the masala till the oil starts to leave.
Add the soaked urad dal (black gram). Add water and salt.
Cooking Kali Dal
Cover the pressure cook for about 15 to 18 whistles or 18 to 20 minutes or till the lentils have become soft and buttery.
If the dal looks thin, then simmer without the lid, till it reaches the desired consistency.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve kali dal hot with naan, kulcha, Rotis, plain paratha, or plain boiled rice.
Dhaba style dal fry
Ingredients:
For Cooking Dal (Lentils)
2 tablespoons chana dal husked & split Bengal gram
2 tablespoons tuvar dal husked & split pigeon pea lentils
2 tablespoons urad dal split urad dal with their husks (chilkewali urad dal)
2 tablespoons moong dal split mung lentils with husks (chilkewali moong dal)
2 tablespoons masoor dal (pink lentils)
1 pinch of turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
2 cups water for pressure cooking
Other Ingredients
1.5 tablespoons oil – can use ghee or butter
55 grams onion or 1 medium onion or ⅓ cup chopped onion
4 grams ginger or ½ inch ginger or 1 teaspoon crushed ginger
4 grams garlic or 6 to 7 small garlic cloves or 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
2 to 3 green chillies slit
2 to 3 dry red chillies
teaspoon Kasuri methi, crushed
115 grams tomatoes or 1 large tomato, chopped or ½ cup chopped tomatoes
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
½ teaspoon red chilli powder (or cayenne pepper or paprika)
½ teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
½ to ⅔ cup water or add as required
salt as required
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
Whole Spices
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ inch cinnamon
2 to 3 cloves
2 green cardamoms
1 tej patta or Indian bay leaf
Steps:
Cooking Lentils
Pick and rinse the lentils a couple of times.
Add the lentils to a pressure cooker along with a pinch of turmeric powder. Also, add 2 cups of water.
Pressure cook for 18 to 20 minutes on a low to medium flame.
When the pressures settle down on their own, open the lid and check the dals.
The lentils should be cooked very well and softened.
Lightly mash and keep aside.
Making Dhaba Style Dal
In a Kadai add oil or ghee and heat 1.5 tablespoons.
Add all the whole spices and saute them till they crackle and become fragrant.
Then add the chopped onions.
Stir often and saute till the onions turn light golden.
Then add 1 tsp crushed ginger, 1 tsp crushed garlic, 2 to 3 slit green chillies, and 2 to 3 dry red chillies. Mix well and saute till the raw aroma of ginger & garlic goes away.
Add crushed Kasuri methi and stir.
Now add the chopped tomatoes. Stir and saute till the tomatoes soften.
Then add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, and a pinch of asafoetida.
Mix the spice powders with the rest of the onion-tomato masala.
Add the cooked dal and mix well.
Add water and stir very well.
Season with salt and mix again.
Simmer the Dhaba dal on a low flame till the dal thickens a bit.
Keep on stirring at intervals so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
When the dal is done, switch off the flame. Add chopped coriander leaves. Reserve some coriander leaves for garnishing.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve the Dhaba style dal hot with rotis or parathas.