It is impossible to plan a grant feast without quintessential delicacies like Dahi Vada. This is popular across all over India and come with different textures from soft to hard.
Ingredients:
Urad dal without skin- 1 cup
Yellow Moong dal - Two table spoons
Water - 1/4 cup just to grind the dal
yoghurt -1 cup
salt - 2 Tsp
for seasoning
Curry leaves - one strand
asafetida - one pinch
Grated ginger - 1 Tbsp
green chili slit into thin slices - 2
Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp
Methi seeds - 1/4 Tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 Tsp
Garnishing :
Roasted Cumin powder - 1 Tsp
Roasted Dry Chili Flakes - 1 Tsp
Coriander Leaves
Method:
Rinse and soak Urad Dal and moong dal for 4 to 5 hours or overnight in a large bowl with enough water. After soaking nicely, the dal will swell and double in quantity. Drain the water and grind the dal with two Table spoon of water to a fine paste.
Do not add all water at a time, add in an interval just to assist in grinding the lentils to get a fine paste.
The batter should be thick and of dropping consistency.
Add one Tsp salt and whisk it nicely in your hand or a ladle.
Let the batter rest for 2 to 3 hours till it ferments and increases in volume. This time will vary depending on weather.
Now whisk it again in your hand or a ladle for two to three minutes.
Place a kadhai on stove on medium flame and add clarified butter or oil.
Let the oil become moderately hot.
Take small quantity of batter in your hand and make a small round ball size shape, drop the batter in Oil. Fry the Vadas for about five minutes over medium to high heat, until they turn golden. Turn them occasionally so that it is cooked properly from all sides.
Remove them from heated oil and place them in a pan of water or butter milk. The Vedas will become softer after soaking water or butter milk and will become double in size.
Whisk chilled yogurt along with the salt until smooth and thin by adding water. Pour half of the yogurt into a deep container. Add the buttermilk soaked vadas to this yogurt.
If you have soaked the vadas in water, gently remove them from water and squeeze them in your palm to remove excess water, then place them in the Yoghurt.
In a small pan heat one Tbsp of oil, add Mustard, Cumin, Methi seeds and asafetida. Let them splutter. Add ginger, chill and curry leaves to the seasoning and stir it for one minute till ginger leaves water and turns brown.
Mix the seasoning with the remaining half of Dahi and mix well. Pour this Yoghurt and seasoning Mix on top of the soaked Dahivadas.
Garnish them with Roasted Cumin powder, Red chilli flakes and Coriander leaves.
In Jagannath Puri, only Roasted Cumin powder is used as garnishing these Dahivadas. You can Use Pomegranate seeds and shredded carrots for garnishing. Tamarind/Dates Chutney and green Coriander Chutney also gives a grand look on Dahi vadas.