Be it a festival or any gathering Dahi Bhalle is all time favourite snack to munch upon in North Indian homes. Now the question comes how to make soft Dahi Bhalle. Although the list of ingredients and steps to make it looks long but it is very easy to prepare Dahi Bhalle at home. Moreover in festivals like Holi Dahi bhalle adds on to the delight of festival.
Ingredients to make Dahi Bhalle
- 1 cup urad dal (black gram lentils without skin)
- 1/2 moong dal (green gram lentils without skin)
- 2 teaspoon cumin/jeera
- 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida (Hing)
- Oil (for deep frying)
- Salt to taste
- 4 cups lukewarm Water
For Dahi mixture
- 3½ cups Curd (yogurt)
- 1 tablespoon Red Chilli Powder
- 2 tablespoons Roasted Cumin Powder
- 1 tablespoon Black Pepper Powder (optional)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped Coriander Leaves
- 1/4 cup Sweet Chutney (date tamarind chutney)
- 2 tablespoon Green Chutney
- 3 tablespoons Powdered Sugar or to taste (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon rock salt
How to Make Soft Dahi Bhalle
Prepare Bhalle:
- Soak moong dal and urad dal for 4-5 hours.
- Place it in grinder and grind into a smooth paste by gradually adding 1-2 tablespoons water at a time as required (approx. 1/2-cup total water). Amount of water required may vary according to the quality of dal. Do not add too much water otherwise batter will turn watery; it should have thick lumpy consistency and there should not be any broken dal pieces.
- Whisk the dal together till it becomes light and fluffy. Add cumin, salt and Hing. The batter is ready.
- Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium flame. When oil is medium hot, take a medium lemon sized portion of batter in between your fingers or a spoon and gently drop it into the oil. Drop 4-5 portions at a time. Deep-fry them on medium heat until light golden brown and crispy. Take them out from oil and transfer into a bowl having lukewarm water. Make vadas from remaining batter in similar way.
- Soak them for about 7-8 minutes. Oil droplets would start floating on surface and vada/ bhalle would turn soft.
- Take them out from water and press gently between your palms and remove excess water. (This will also drain-out excess oil)
- Transfer them to a plate
Assembling Dahi Bhalle
- Beat curd with sugar and salt with hand beater until smooth.
- Take 4-5 fried and soaked vadas in a deep serving plate or a bowl.
- Pour generous amount of curd evenly over it until fully covered.
- Top it with 2-teaspoons sweet chutney and 1 teaspoon Green chutney and sprinkle red chilli powder, roasted cumin powder and black pepper powder.
- Garnish Dahi bhalle chaat with coriander leaves, pomegranate and sev.
Recipe Notes:
- To make vegan Dahi bhalle, use cashew curd.
- To make very soft Dahi bhalle transfer fried vada immediately into the water and make sure that they are fully submerged in it.
- Sweet and Green Chutneys can be added more if required. These chutneys can be stored and used in other chaat like Bhalla papdi, Aloo Tikki, Rajma Aloo cutlets.
- Rock salt (black salt) acts as taste enhancer.
- Prepare instant Dahi Bhalle with bread easily, tasty and healthy.