Dahi Vada (Urad + Moong dal).

Soft and Chilled "Dahi Vada" ... Prepared with a combination of Urad Dal+ Moong Dal ... Irresistible Vadas dunked in Sweet And Spicy Curds ... Go ahead and enjoy them ... Yummy Yumz ...

These Dahi Vadas are a treat to eat during summer times when the heat is too hot. Though dahi vadas can be had at any time they taste heavenly when one is feeling hot and hungry. The curds added to the vada give it an unique satisfactory taste.

Wash and soak 1 cup Urad dal and 1 cup moong dal together in plenty of water for 2 hours. Remove and drain in a colander till all the water has completely drained away. Keep aside in the colander for about 30 minutes so that there is absolutely no extra moisture left.

Grind the urad + moong dal mixture to a smooth paste without water. The trick in getting good vada lies in making of the paste. It is always better if you can grind it without water. However, if you find this difficult you can sprinkle some water and mix well and grind the same.

Remove the ground paste in a large flat bottomed vessel. Add salt to taste, 1 tsp hing powder, 1 large tablespoon of finely chopped ginger, 8-10 curry leaves chopped finely and 3-4 green chillies cut into round rings. Mix the batter well.

Heat plenty of oil for deep frying in a thick bottomed kadai, when it reaches smoking point, lower the heat, wait for 5 minutes then add about a large tablespoon of batter with the help of you hands gently into the oil. Do not overcrowd the kadai, there should be enough place to turnover the vadas and fry them evenly. Now keep the heat on medium and fry the vadas till crispy and brown by overturning them frequently. When the vadas are done, remove on an absorbent paper for the extra oil to get drained off. Repeat the procedure with the reaming batter, till all the batter has been used. 

You can serve the vadas dipped in Rasam ie know as Rasam Vada, in Curds known as Dahi Vada or as it is with Chutney. I have made two dishes out of the same vada, I had prepared some by allowing them to get soaked in Rasam and some in Curds.

For soaking Method : Just put the vadas in warm water for 10 minutes, it absorbs the water. Remove and press them between the palms gently to squeeze out the water. This should be done gently so as to not break the vadas. Then add them into the prepared hot Rasam, cover and keep it aside for an hour so that the vadas get soaked properly in the Rasam.

For preparing curds for Dahi Vada : Beat 1 cup of curds with 1 cup of water well to a smooth texture. Add 1 tsp sugar, 2-3 chopped green chillies, few coriander leaves finely chopped, 1 tsp of hing powder, salt to taste and mix well till the sugar has melted. Add in the prepared and soaked vadas (about 8-10) and mix well. Put this in a flat tin and pour over it all the curds. You can season this with rai and curry leaves, sprinkle some chilly powder and khatta meeta chutney. I have kept this simple this time. Keep this in the fridge for at least 4-5 hours before serving. They taste best when they are eating very cold. While serving Dahi Vadas, check if the vadas have soaked in all the curds, if so, you can beat some more curds in similar method and add in to the vadas and mix before serving.