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Dahi vada is a famous snack sold on the streets of Delhi. Learn how to make urad dal dahi vada.
Fluffy, golden-coloured urad dal vadas might taste good as such, but they taste even better when made into tongue-tickling dahi bhalla.
To make dahi vada, first make the vadas. Combine the urad dal, green chillies, ginger and salt in a mixer and grind to a smooth paste using approx. ¼ cup of water. Divide the batter into 6 equal portions and keep aside. Heat the oil in a deep non-stick pan and deep-fry 3 vadas at a time till they turn light golden brown in colour from all the sides. Combine the curd and the sugar in a bowl, mix well and keep the sweetened curd aside. Take enough water in a deep bowl and soak the vadas in it for 15 minutes. Squeeze out all the excess water from the vadas and flatten lightly between your palms. Arrange 3 vadas on a serving dish and top with half the sweetened curd mixture. Top with a little chilli powder, 1 tbsp of khajur imli ki chutney, a little cumin seeds powder and black salt. Serve immediately.
Soak the urad dal dahi vada in water to make them softer; drown them in sweetened curds; and serve with a drizzling of khajur imli ki chutney and a sprinkling of spice powders. If you wish, you can garnish the dahi vadas more elaborately with sev or south Indian mixture, finely chopped onions, and so on.
While the South Indian style dahi vada is sweet due to the addition of sugar in dahi, the North Indian style has salted dahi. This North Indian chaat recipe can be served as a snack or even side dish to the Main Course.
Tips for dahi vada.
1. Do not soak the vadas for too long, else they might break.
2. You can squeeze out the water from the vadas and keep them refrigerated. Assemble it just before serving then.
3. A garnish of pomegranate seeds is also enjoyed by some. You can try it too!.
4. As a variation, you can also try moong dal dahi vada
Is Dahi Vada healthy?
No, this is not healthy. Let's see why.
Let's understand the Ingredients.
What's good.
Urad Dal : 1 cup of cooked urad dal gives 69.30% of folic acid of your daily requirement of folate. The folic acid in urad dal helps your body to produce and maintain new cells, especially red blood cells. Being rich in Phosphorus it works with Calcium to build our bones, high in fibre and good for heart, good for lowering cholesterol and good for diabetes. See here for 10 super benefits of urad dal.
Green Chillies : Antioxidant vitamin C in green chillies protects the body from effects of harmful free radicals and prevents stress. It is probably the high fiber which helps in controlling blood sugar levels. This it is a welcome addition to a diabetic diet. Suffering from anaemia? Add green chillies to your list of iron rich foods too. For complete details see benefits of green chilli.
Ginger (Adrak) : Ginger is an effective cure for congestion, sore throat, cold and cough. It aids digestion and relieves constipation. Ginger was found as effective as drugs in relieving menstrual pain. Ginger is effective in decreasing the cholesterol levels in patients with high cholesterol. Ginger significantly reduces symptoms of nausea in pregnant ladies. See here for 16 Super Health Benefits of Adrak, Ginger.
Cumin Seeds ( jeera) : The most common benefit of jeera known to many is to soothe the stomach, intestine and the entire digestive tract. Cumin seeds are apparently a very good source of iron. A tbsp. of cumin seeds can fulfil nearly 20% of days iron requirement. Even small quantity of cumin seeds has huge amounts of calcium – a bone supporting mineral. They aid is digestion, weight loss and help reduce inflammation. See detailed benefits of cumin seeds, jeera.
Dates (Khajur) : 1 cup of dates (90 gm) gives around 8.05 gm of fiber and will lower down the cholesterol level and will also aid in weight loss. A cup of dates contain 703 mg of potassium (14.95% of RDA) which helps in the regulation of blood pressure and also prevents formation of kidney stones. Dates have a low glycemic index from 43 to 55 depending on the variety, so they are a boon to diabetics to satisfy their sweet tooth. See details for 8 super benefits of dates.
Imli (Tamarind) : Tamarind is good for heart due to the fibre present which has a cholesterol lowering effect. It is also good for diabetics. But too much tamarind is bad for health.
Curd + Low fat Curds : Curds help in digestion as it has very good bacteria. Probiotics in curds acts as a mild laxative but, in case of diarrhoea and dysentery, it is a boon, if curd is used with rice. Curd is one of the richest source of protein, calcium and minerals. They help in weight reduction, good for your heart and build immunity. Being low in sodium, it is safe to be eaten by individuals with high blood pressure. The only difference between curds and low fat curds is the fat level. Read the benefits of curds to include in your daily diet.
Coriander (kothmir, dhania): Coriander is a fresh herb often used as a flavour enhancer in Indian cooking. It is mainly used as a garnish. This is the best way to use it - no cooking. This preserves its vitamin C content which helps to build our immunity and bring that sparkle to the skin. The antioxidants vitamin A, vitamin C and the quercetin present in coriander works towards strengthening our immune system. Coriander is a fairly good source of iron and folate – the 2 nutrient which help in the production and maintenance of red blood cells in our blood. Good for reducing cholesterol and good for diabetics. Read 9 benefits of coriander to understand details.
What's the problem?
Deep fried foods : This recipe is deep fried. Any food that is deep fried is not suitable for healthy living. Your fat levels increase as deep frying increases oil absorption. Also when you use the same oil again for deep frying then smoking point decreases which leads to the development of blue smoke which is not good for health. Processed food, Deep Fried Foods also increases inflammation in the body and shuts down the fat burning process. Most diseases from heart, to cardio vascular, diabetes, parkinsons, alzheimer, cancer and obesity result when the cells get inflamed and don't then function correctly. Inflammation in the arteries can cause heart attacks. So your diet should contain foods that fight inflammation in the body. That's how your body gets healthier by eating the right stuff. So you have given the cells in your body the right food to stay healthy and that is so important in staying disease free for the rest of your life.
Sugar : Sugar used in the recipe is also called white poison. It is a simple carbohydrate with zero nutritional value. On intake, sugar will cause inflammation of the body which will last for many hours. It will spike your blood sugar level and shut down the fat burning process. This also causes high blood sugar levels in your body. The development of prediabetes comes from uncontrolled eating sugar and refined food products for many years and the classic symptom is if you have excess belly fat. This leads to diabetes and further onwards to heart attack, high blood pressure, strokes, impotence and kidney damage.
Can diabetics, heart patients and over weight individuals have Dahi Vada?
No, this recipe is not good for diabetics, heart and weight loss. This vada is deep fried. Any food that is deep fried is not suitable for healthy living. Your fat levels increase as deep frying increases oil absorption. Also when you use the same oil again for deep frying then smoking point decreases which leads to the development of blue smoke which is not good for health. So stay away from any deep fried food to live a healthy and happy life.
Are there any healthy chaat recipes you suggest?
Yes, we suggest the following healthy chaat options like Oats Chaat, Moong Dal ki Chaat, Gajar aur Moong Dal ki Chaat and Panner aur Hare Chane ki Chaat. All these chaat recipes have no fried foods and made from dals, oats and chana which are healthy.
Gajar Aur Moong Dal ki Chaat
Dahi Vadas is high in
1. Protein : Protein is required for the managing the wear and tear of all cells of the body.
2. Folic Acid : Folic acid is an essential vitamin required throughout pregnancy.
3. Vitamin B1 : Vitamin B1 protects nerves, helps in carbohydrate metabolism, prevents heart diseases and helps produce red blood cells.
4. Magnesium : Magnesium is required for formation of bones and teeth. helps in the metabolism of calcium and potassium.
5. Phosphorous : Phosphorous works closely with calcium to build bones.
Note : a recipe is deemed high in a Vitamin or mineral if it meets 20% and above the recommended daily allowance based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
How to burn 106 calories that come from one Dahi Vada?
Walking (6 kmph) = 32 mins
Running (11 kmph) = 11 mins
Cycling (30 kmph) = 14 mins
Swimming (2 kmph) = 18 mins
Note: These values are approximate and calorie burning differs in each individual.