Dahi Vada / Dahi Bhalla - Healthy No Deep-Fry Recipe

1. Transfer Urad Gota (Skinned Black whole lentil) and Mung dal in a deep bowl and rinse thoroughly 2-3 times with water or until water starts running clear.
2. Soak it in enough water for 6-8 hours or overnight. Well-soaked dal yields softer Vada.
3. Strain the soaked dal in a strainer. 
4. Grind the soaked dal in 2-3 small batches with just a few spoons of water. Add water gradually only if needed to facilitate the grinding. Grind into a thick, smooth paste-like batter.
5. Transfer the ground dal batter into a large bowl, and whisk vigorously to aerate the batter for 8-10 minutes in one direction only. Aerating the batter ensures that the resulting Vada are soft and fluffy.
6. Do a lightness test of batter by dropping a little batter in the water-filled small bowl to check if the batter has been aerated enough. If it sinks, then aerate more for few minutes. If floats, then move to the next step.
7. Add chopped green chilies, minced ginger, broken cashews, chironji, raisins, salt, and cumin seeds, and mix well. (You can also add chopped cilantro)
8. Heat the paniyaram/appe/aebleskiver pan on medium low heat. Add a few drops of oil in each cavity and add 1 tablespoon of batter.
9. Add little oil around each Vada.
10. Start flipping Vada when the center part of the batter is still wiggly, using a chopstick to make perfectly round Vadas. Don’t wait to cook them through.
11. Push back the batter back to cavities, if any comes out while flipping.
12. Keep turning and flipping for even browning.
13. Remove the cooked Vada’s from the pan when golden brown from all sides.
14. Repeat the process until all the batter is used.
15. This quantity of dal would yield 45-50 pieces depending upon the size of the pan’s cavity.
16. In a big bowl, take enough hot water, add a little salt, and stir.
17. Soak the cooked Vadas in this hot water for an hour.
18. Meanwhile, in another bowl, whisk yogurt. The consistency of whisked yogurt should be thick and creamy, not watery at all.
19. Season the yogurt with salt, sugar and mix well.
20. Take the soaked Vada from the water one at a time, gently squeeze all the water out by pressing them between palms.
21. Place all squeezed Vada in whisked yogurt, make sure all the Vadas are properly coated/dipped and covered with yogurt.
22. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Steps to serve Dahi Vada

1. Transfer Vada with yogurt one by one in a serving platter.
2. Sprinkle roasted cumin seeds powder and red chili powder on top of Vada.
3. Topped with some green cilantro mint chutney and Meethi chutney/ Saunth.
4. Garnish with some pomegranate kernels, crunchy masala boondi, and mint/cilantro leaves.