← Nouns Cooking · Indian

Ingredients

• 200 g split skinless urad dal
• 2 cm piece Ginger
• 1 Green chilli
• ¾ tsp salt, for the batter
• 1 pinch Asafoetida (hing) (optional)
• oil, for deep frying
• 1 l warm water, for soaking the vadas
• ½ tsp salt, for the soaking water
• 500 g thick plain yogurt, chilled
• 2 tbsp Sugar
• ¼ tsp salt, for the yogurt
• 4 tbsp green mint-coriander chutney
• 4 tbsp sweet tamarind chutney (imli)
• 1 tsp ground roasted cumin
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• ½ tsp Chaat masala
• 2 tbsp Coriander (cilantro), chopped

Method

1. Soak the urad dal in plenty of water for 4 hours, then drain well.
2. Blend the dal with the ginger, chilli and 3–4 tbsp water into a thick, very smooth batter. Whisk it hard by hand for 3–4 min until light and fluffy; a dollop dropped in water should float. Stir in the salt and asafoetida.
3. Heat 5 cm of oil to about 170°C (340°F). With wet hands, drop in small balls of batter and fry for 4–5 min, turning, until golden and cooked through. Drain.
4. Drop the hot vadas straight into the warm salted water and soak for 20 min, until they swell and turn spongy.
5. Whisk the yogurt with the sugar and salt until smooth. One at a time, press each vada gently between your palms to squeeze out the water and lay them in a serving dish.
6. Pour the yogurt over to cover, then drizzle with both chutneys and sprinkle with cumin, chilli powder, chaat masala and coriander. Chill for 30 min before serving.

Tips

• Most asafoetida contains wheat; leave it out or use a gluten-free one.
• The fried vadas freeze well; thaw and soak them in warm water when you need them.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Hebbar's Kitchen My Food Story