Soft dahi bhalle / Street style dahi vada chaat – Dahi Bhalla recipe Step by step preparation with tips. A Popular street-style snack recipe made with washed urad dal and moong dal fritters dipped in mildly sweetened curd and topped with green and red chutney. It is a gluten-free snack recipe relished by both kids as well as adults.
About soft Dahi Bhalle Chaat
Dahi bhalle is also called dahi bhalla or dahi vada. Dahi Bhalle is a lentil fritter soaked in curd where dahi is curd and Bhalle is fried lentil fritters.
Bhalle is soft, melt in mouth lentil fritters made with washed urad and moong dal. They are then dipped in sweetened curd and topped with spicy green chutney and sweet & tangy imli chutney. A masala mixture is also sprinkled over dahi Bhalla to give them an aromatic flavour. It is a perfect combination of spicy, sweet and savoury flavours.
It is the most loved street style chaat in North India. dahi Bhalla can be served as a starter, evening snack or a side with main meals.
Dahi Bhalla tastes best when served chilled. This snack recipe is mostly prepared during the Holi or Diwali festival. But Do not need to wait for a special occasion to enjoy this soft and spongy, delicious dahi Bhalla or dahi vada.
Ingredients used in the making of dahi Bhalle
Lentils – I used a combination of washed whole urad dal and split yellow moong dal to make this soft dahi Bhalla. Out of 1 cup, 3/4 cup is urad dal and 1/4 cup is moong dal. If you want you can take a whole cup of urad dal and skip moong dal.
Seasonings – green chillies and cumin seeds are to spice up the dal paste. If you like can add ginger too.
Curd – low-fat curd is used as it is a great option to cut down the fat calories. For a more rich flavour, you can use full-fat curd. I also have sweetened the curd with a little sugar but it’s optional.
Garnishing – Green coriander mint chutney and imli khajur ki khatti meethi chutney is used for decorating and giving a spicy and sweet flavour to the dahi Bhalla. Also, a salt masala mixture is used to balance out the sweet and savoury flavour.
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How to make a salt masala mixture for dahi bhalle?
Take 2 tbsp dry mint leaves, 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds, 1/8 tsp black salt, 1/8 tsp white salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper powder, 1/8 tsp chaat masala + 1/8 tsp ajwain. grind them into a fine powder and use it for sprinkling on the dahi bhalle chaat.
How to prepare perfectly dahi Bhalla at home
To make dahi Bhalle at home we need to soak dals for few hours. After soaking, we should drain all the water and then grind dal into a coarse thick paste. If required add only 1-2 tbsp of water while grinding, don’t make the paste thin. Otherwise, they absorb a lot of oil while frying. And take a long time to cook which makes them hard.
After grinding, whisk the dal paste for 2-3 minutes to make the batter airy and fluffy. This step is very important and helps in making Bhalla soft and spongy. Once the Bhalla gets deep-fried, soak them in warm salted water for some time and then squeeze out extra water. This also helps in making Bhalla soft and also reduces the oil content from them.
Then dip them into the chilled curd. Add green chutney and red imli chutney. Enjoy this tasty and mouth-watering chaat with your friends and family.
Can we store Bhalle?
Fried Bhalle can be stored in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for 1-2 months. So, whenever you have a craving for something sweet and spicy then take them out of the freezer, defrost them and soak in warm water. Add curd and chutney and enjoy at any time.
Video of Soft Dahi Bhalle
Health benefits of main ingredients
Urad dal
- Also called split black lentil or black gram dal and is one of the richest sources of protein. It contains a good amount of fat and carbohydrates.
- It is a good source of fibre both soluble and insoluble that helps in improving digestion, skin health and boosts energy.
- This dal is very nutritious for women especially pregnant women as it is rich in iron, folic acid, calcium, potassium and magnesium.
- It is mainly used in the preparation of papad, vada, bhalle, vada, dosa, idli, pinni.
Moong dal
- It is a very versatile dal that mainly used in making lentil curry, soup, salad, sprouts, halwa, ladoo.
- Rich in protein and fibre also contains antioxidants that help in reducing the risk of chronic disease
- Easy to digest regulates bowel movement improves digestion
- Low in calories high in nutrients very helpful in the weight loss process.
- Low in glycemic index and prevents diabetes.
- The high content of potassium and magnesium also helps in controlling blood pressure problem.
Low-fat curd
- Curd is made from milk fermentation with certain enzymes that change the lactose sugar into lactic acid.
- It is a great probiotic and good for gut function.
- Improves immunity, keep our bones and teeth strong and prevents osteoporosis
- Low in a fat content great option for weight reduction.
Step by step preparation of street style dahi bhalle chaat
- First, wash and soak urad and moong dal together for at least 2-3 hours. After 3 hours, strain extra water from soaked dals and transfer it to a mixer grinder. Add green chillies and cumin seeds.
2. Do not add water and grind it to a coarse and thick paste. If required don’t add more than 1-2 tbsp of water. Transfer this paste into a big mixing bowl. Whisk the mixture with the help of a hand whisk till it becomes light and fluffy.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan on a low medium flame. Once the oil becomes hot enough, with the help of a spoon or with your hand start dropping a small portion of the dal mixture into the oil.
4. Stir them occasionally in the oil so that they will cook evenly from all sides.When they become light golden in colour remove them on a plate, it will take about 3-4 minutes for one batch. Let them cool to room temperature.
5. Now, in a big saucepan, add water and warm it. Then add salt and heeng to it. Add slightly cooled bhalle in the water, cover it and leave it for half an hour.
6. Now whisk chilled curd to make it smooth and add sugar to it. Keep it aside. After that, take out bhalla from water and lightly squeeze them between your palms. Do not squeeze hard otherwise they will break as they become very soft at this stage. Collect them all on a plate. Place this plate in the refrigerator for about half an hour to let them cool.
7. Now take a big bowl, add half of the curd. Then arrange bhallas in it, pour more curd over them. After that, pour some green chutney , red chutney, sprinkle salt masala and finally decorate with some pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately.
Serving suggestions
Dahi bhalla is best served as an evening snack, a side dish with main meals or a starter with green chutney and red imli ki chutney.
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Tips and tricks
- Use washed whole urad dal for this recipe. It helps in making soft bhalle.
- Wash dal with water several times before soaking.
- Don’t add water while grinding the dal mixture but if it is hard to grind add 1 to 2 tbsp of water not more than that.
- Whisk the dal paste for at least 2-3 minutes, this step is very important as it helps in making the mixture airy and fluffy and results in soft and spongy bhalle.
- you can make bhalle using your hand or with the help of a spoon.
- Make small size bhalle as they cook nicely from inside also looks good while serving
- After frying let the bhalle cool a little bit then add into warm water.
- Remove the bhalle from water and squee very lightly between your palms and puts them in the refrigerator for half an hour before serving.
Soft Dahi Bhalle / Street Style Dahi Vada Chaat
Ingredients
For bhalla making
- ¾ cup Urad dal
- ¼ cup moong dal
- 2 green chillies
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 pinch heeng
- Oil for frying
For final assembling
- 500 gm curd
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ¼ cup Imli ki chutney
- ¼ cup green chutney
- 2 tbsp anar (optional)
- 1 tbsp all purpose salt mixture
Instructions
- First, wash and soak urad and moong dal together for at least 2-3 hours.
- After 3 hours, strain extra water from soaked dals and transfer it to a mixer grinder. Add green chillies and cumin seeds.
- Do not add water and grind it to a coarse and thick paste. If required don’t add more than 1-2 tbsp of water.
- Transfer this paste into a big mixing bowl.
- Whisk the mixture with the help of a hand whisk till it becomes light and fluffy.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan on a low medium flame.
- Once the oil becomes hot enough, with the help of a spoon or with your hand start dropping a small portion of the dal mixture into the oil.
- Stir them occasionally in the oil so that they will cook evenly from all sides.
- When they become light golden in colour remove them on a plate, it will take about 3-4 minutes for one batch.
- Let them cool to room temperature.
- Now, in a big saucepan, add water and warm it. Then add salt and heeng to it.
- Add slightly cooled bhalle in the water, cover it and leave it for half an hour.
- Now whisk chilled curd to make it smooth and add sugar to it. Keep it aside.
- After that, take out bhalla from water and lightly squeeze them between your palms. Do not squeeze hard otherwise they will break as they become very soft at this stage.
- Collect them all on a plate. Place this plate in the refrigerator for about half an hour to let them cool.
- Now take a big bowl, add half of the curd. Then arrange bhallas in it, pour more curd over them.
- After that, pour some green chutney, red chutney, sprinkle salt masala and finally decorate with some pomegranate seeds.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
How to make a salt masala mixture for dahi bhalle?
Take 2 tbsp dry mint leaves, 1 tsp roasted cumin seeds, 1/8 tsp black salt, 1/8 tsp white salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper powder, 1/8 tsp chaat masala + 1/8 tsp ajwain. grind them into a fine powder and use it for sprinkling on the dahi bhalle chaat.Try these yummy dahi bhalla chaat recipe, take a picture and tag it #healthically on Instagram. Or, save it for later on Pinterest. I love to see them. Happycooking!
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