Holi is the Hindu festival of colors and welcomes the arrival of spring in India. There are many delicacies that are prepared during the celebrations, but one is particularly special: dahi vada, also known as dahi bhalla. This is a beloved Indian snack of fermented lentil dumplings that are fried until golden brown, then soaked in seasoned yogurt. Dahi vada is served as a cooling snack on a hot afternoon, hitting all the tangy, sweet, and sour notes that are so quintessential to chaat dishes.
Soak the urad dal for a minimum of five hours to ensure that it blends into a smooth paste. This dal paste can get quite tacky, so adding water helps loosen it for blending. The texture of the dumplings is soft, light, and airy; once topped with and soaked in the yogurt, they achieve a delightfully spongy quality.
This spicy, flavorful dish might be a mainstay of Holi, but it makes for a vibrant party snack year-round. Dahi vada is typically garnished with various chutneys, like tamarind and cilantro-mint, and spices like chaat masala and red chile powder. There are many varieties that differ slightly from one another. Some versions include potatoes and chickpeas as a topping; others feature tomatoes and crispy sev. I grew up eating this simple version, and it hits the spot every time.
4–6 servings
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Rinse 1 cup urad dal in a fine-mesh sieve and place in a medium bowl. Pour in room-temperature water to cover and soak until dal is softened, at least 5 hours and up to 12 hours.
Drain dal and transfer to a blender. Add 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt and ½ cup water and blend until smooth. (Take a pea-size amount of purée between your fingers and rub to ensure it is not grainy and there are no chunks; blend longer if needed.) Transfer purée to a container with enough space for mixture to rise. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a lid, place in an oven proofer set at 115°, and let ferment until double in size, 3–4 hours. (Alternatively, proof in your oven set to 115° or lowest setting or proof in a really warm spot in your kitchen.)
Gently stir dough to combine. Pour vegetable oil into a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot fitted with thermometer to come 3″ up sides (about 4 quarts) and heat over medium until thermometer registers 350°.
Using a #24 cookie scoop (about 2½ Tbsp.) or 2 medium spoons and working in 4 or 5 batches, carefully drop pieces of dough into oil (they will sink at first, but then float to the surface). Cook, pushing down, pouring oil over, and turning (this will ensure they puff up and are hollow in the center), until deep golden brown, 9–11 minutes. Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer vadas to paper towels and let drain.
Combine 3 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. plus 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt and 4 quarts hot water in a large bowl. Add vadas and let soak until rehydrated, pale, and only slightly firm, about 30 minutes. Working one at a time, remove vadas from water and press in your hand to release water (they will break slightly and flatten). Transfer to a baking sheet.
Whisk 2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt (not Greek), 6 Tbsp. sugar, and remaining 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a small bowl until sugar and salt are dissolved.
Spread most of sweetened yogurt over a platter and place vadas in a single layer on top. Drizzle remaining sweetened yogurt over, then 1 cup tamarind purée and 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice. Sprinkle generously with cayenne pepper and chaat masala and scatter cilantro leaves with tender stems on top.
