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Friday, May 7, 2010

"Thayir Vadai", Deep Fried Lentil Dumplings In Seasoned Yogurt Sauce

If there is a tricky recipe,this has to be it. What I mean is, if you don't grind it to a right consistency, they can't be shaped like doughnuts which is how they are supposed to look like. All I can say is, practice makes it perfect. And they are called "Methu Vadai" and if you dunk them in Yogurt Sauce they become "Thayir/Dahi Vadai". The key is to grind them WITHOUT WATER. But I did and you can see that I gave up trying to make a hole in the center.Instead used mini ice-cream scoop to spoon batter into the oil.
Sending this as an entry to International Incident Party held at Jeroxie's.
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Ingredients:
For the dumplings:
  • De-hulled Whole Black Gram(Urad Dhal) - 1/2 cup
  • Green Chillies - 3, finely chopped
  • Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp
  • Rice Flour - 1/2 tsp
  • Baking Soda - a pinch
  • Salt for taste 
  • Corn Oil for deep frying
  • Olive oil for greasing - 1 tsp
For the Yogurt Sauce:
  • Thick Yogurt - 4 cups, whipped with 3 tbsp of water
  • Cilantro - 2 tbsp, finely chopped (for Garnish)
  • Salt - a dash 
For Seasoning the Yogurt: (Entirely Optional)
  • Mustard Seeds and Split Urad Dhal - 1 tsp each
  • Corn Oil - 1 tbsp
Procedure:
  • Optional seasoning for Yogurt - In a skillet add a tbsp of oil and fry the Mustard seeds and Urad dhal.Add it to the Yogurt.
  • Mix the Yogurt and Salt and transfer it to a shallow bowl.
  • Wash the black gram and soak with just enough water to cover it barely. Add more water if they swell and soak for exactly an hour. No more, no less.
  • Completely drain them and grind it with ginger to a smooth paste with No Added Water if possible. Else use a tsp or 2 of cold water for grinding.
  • Add the rice flour, baking soda and salt and mix it.
  • Grease the top of a Ziploc bag and spoon 2 tbsp of the batter. Poke a hole in the center and slowly transfer it to the right hand(also greased) and gently drop it into the oil.
  • Drain them on paper towels and immediately drop it into the Yogurt. Cover them entirely and let it sit for about half an hour.
  • Garnish with Cilantro before serving.
Makes about 10 dumplings.

Enjoy!

56 comments:

  1. Hey

    Dahi vada looks mouthwatering and yummy..:-)) greatt pics too!!

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  2. Lassie..what a picture dear...looks soo mouthwatering...

    Love
    Kairali sisters

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  3. I too sometimes add water to vadais and end up making bonda...thatz what my husband says when I make vadais without hole :( maybe I should make thair vadai next time...yours looks so good dear...very tempting :)

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  4. Oh wow, you are really tempting me to get a deepfryer! I think they great and yummy! Why do they need hole anyway? :D

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  5. Thayir vadaina naan appadiye saapiduven..makes me drool..

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  6. Hi
    Indeed you are correct "practice makes it perfect".
    Your look awesome.
    Have a great weekend x

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  7. thair vadai..one of my favorite snack.but i hardly cook this at home.but had a lot from restaurant and friends place..so delicious..the vada looks so yummy..Lovely pictures.

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  8. I never them...the darn holes! But the texture looks perfect and crispy!

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  9. @Lyndsey -- Dear, I have no idea why they are supposed to have a hole..just like how a doughnut has holes, this one does too. As you can see, mine doesn't have a hole because I couldn't make one anyway.:)

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  10. Seriously, those dumplings are calling out my name! Looks so delicious with the sauce!

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  11. Dahi Vade...wah wah...I love this item...:)
    To fry the vadas is a bit time consuming but it's okie..We make this one line once in 2-3 months ...

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  12. Thayir vadai looks really yummy. Don't worry about holes. Tastes matters

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  13. Thayir Vadai sounds awesome and delicious. Husband's fav!

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  14. Lassie, in my house, I have to count how many of those dry vadas actually get in the dahi... lol

    Beautiful clicks :)

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  15. These sounds so delicious...but anything deepfried is my favorite.

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  16. These look wonderful. I know I would love the flavor combo here. They look great to me without the holes!

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  17. i love this dish...wanna grab it right away from ur pic...lovely dish and nice clicks...

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  18. lovely vadas..always our favourite but i hardly make them....

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  19. these look very crispy and yummy even without holes ;-)

    Deepa
    Hamaree Rasoi

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  20. Hi CL...keep me some thayir vadais pls!!! ;)

    I love them soooooo much!

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  21. I usually try to avoid anything deep fried at all costs. But I don't think I could resist trying these! They look delicious.

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  22. I love yogurt a lot and anything with it. Thayir Vadais look good and yum!

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  23. These sound scrumptious and terrific with the yogurt sauce!

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  24. Wow mouthwatering and crispy vada... tempting...

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  25. Hi dear, interessante e gustosa questa ricetta, non la conoscevo! Kisses

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  26. Dear lassie
    You think I will or any one of us will believe that you could not make a hole in the Vada...? No way..
    I think you made a north Indian style Vada , what they use in Dahi Bhalla.
    Whats in a shape? I am sure it is very tasty..I love dahi vada in all its form and taste too.
    Have a nice weekend

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  27. He he, vadai, my favourite. Ate them during tea time!

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  28. a favourite..i always make them when I have lot of guests..

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  29. hole or no hole..i can gobble them up any time...

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  30. THESE LOOK AMAZING! tHANKS FOR SHARING.

    NISRINE

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  31. Looks mouthwatering..with these gr8 pictures..

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  32. Dahi wada hole or no hole look amazing ,crispy and delicious.

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  33. Tempting... I love these... nice clicks...

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  34. Such a wonderful recipe. Thanks for sharing.

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  35. Awesome lip smacking prep..... I remember my Maa in-law, every time I come across this prep..... She prepares awesome dahi vadas for the fest of HOLI.... I love the way it tastes & melts in my mouth..... Looking forward to taste my next serve of Dahi vadas.... Keeping fingers crossed to get a chance... very soon......

    Happy Mothers Day!!!!

    Ash...
    (http://asha-oceanichope.blogspot.com/)

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  36. Tayir vadai is my favorite and these pics makes me nostalgic.

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  37. Delicious vadas and loved ur version of thayir vadas. U made me crave for some now :):)

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  38. aaah this looks delicious...
    We also prepare a similar dish called Dahi Wada !
    These blogs are making me feel more and more that Indian is such a large and diverse country !

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  39. OMG... I want to make this. Thanks for joining... will link up once my post is up.

    Thanks again for joining. YUM!

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  40. Ooh, Vegetarian dumplings! Will definitely have to try these soon. Happy International Dumpling Incident Party day :)

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  41. Absolutely delicious, thank you for this recipe! I discovered wadai with my Sri Lankan friends a couple of weeks ago (and just posted about it, actually) and have been thinking about deep fried lentils every since.

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  42. Very nice job..even if tricky to make. With lentils they are hardy indeed but lightened with the yogurt. Yumm

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  43. Wow, I WANT these!! They look mouthwatering!

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  44. These look fantastic. I never would have thought of lentil dumplings, but I am not very well versed in the ways of Indian cooking. Thank you for introducing me to a new delight!

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