HOW TO MAKE PERFECT AND JUICY CUTTACK STYLE DAHI VADA

Cuttack Style Dahi Vada !! Yes, you heard it right. Dahi Vada is originally a South Indian recipe but as Dahi Vada became popular across India then several variations of the recipe emerged to suit the regional taste. Now, we have various types of Dahi Vada like the North Indian “Dahi Bhalla“, Bengali ” Doi Bora“, Odisha Style “Dahi Bara” etc.

If you know any other type of Dahi Vada which you had in any other state of India (of course except the South Indian states), then please share in the comments.

I came to know about Dahi Bara Aloo Dum, famous street food of Cuttack, from my husband. But I never ate such a combination earlier so kind of ignored it. When I came across Dahi Bara Aloo Dum in the social media reels, it looked so yummy and tempting that I could not wait to try it. The same year we were planning a trip to Odisha. Needless to say that I had to try Dahi Bara Aloo Dum :-).

Here, I am sharing with you the Dahi Bara recipe of Odisha or Cuttack, which is so simple to make and the taste is at another level. Trust me, you don’t have to make any chutneys for the garnish. The vadas are dipped in buttermilk which is tempered with simple aromatics. I would highly recommend you to try this recipe at least for once. It is just like WOW!!

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HOW TO MAKE PERFECT & JUICY CUTTACK STYLE DAHI VADA (STEP BY STEP RECIPE)

1. Take 400 gms of Curd or Yogurt in a mixing bowl. Whisk the curd till there are no lumps.

2. Now, add the below spices to the Curd –

• Salt – 1 tsp
• Black Salt – 1 tsp
• Sugar – 1/2 tsp (its optional but it will elevate the taste of the curd)
• Finely Chopped Green Chillies, as per your taste
• Finely Chopped Mango Ginger (Aam Aada) – 1 tsp
• Finely Chopped Ginger – 1.5 tsp
• Dry Roasted Cumin Powder – 2 tsp

Mix all the above ingredients very nicely with the Curd or Dahi

3. Add 500 ml (half litre) of Water to the Curd. Whisk the Curd nicely for few seconds to give it a Buttermilk like consistency.

4. For tempering the Curd :

Heat Sunflower or any non-aromatic Oil in a tempering pan. Once the oil is hot, add the following one by one :

• Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
• Asafoetida or Hing – 1/4th tsp
• Dry Red Chilly – 4 to 5
• Curry Leaves – 15 to 20

Fry the spices for few seconds and then allow the tempering to cool down a bit. Then, add the tempering to the curd.

Note : Do not add the hot tempering to the curd, it might split the curd. So, to be on the safer side, add the tempering to the curd after 5 mins.

5. Mix the tempering with the Curd and the Dahi part of the “Dahi Vada” is Ready.

6. To make the Vadas, I have soaked 1.5 cups of Urad Dal overnight. Then, discard the water and grind the Urad dal into a smooth paste. While grinding, if required add 1 to 2 tsp of Water.

7. Add 2 tsp of Semolina or Rava and 1/2 tsp of Salt to the Urad Dal Batter. Whisk the Urad Dal batter with hand or a whisker till it becomes lighter and fluffy.

8. Now, we will perform a test to check if the Dal batter is perfectly whisked. It is very important step for making soft and juicy dahi vada.

We will a small coin size dal batter and drop it in a cup of water. If the dal batter rises up to the surface of the water, then it is perfectly done and the vadas will be soft.

9. Wet your palm and take a portion of the dal batter and give it the shape of the vadas as shown in the below images.

10. Deep fry the Vadas in medium heat. Do not fry the Vadas in high heat then the outer layer of the vada will be over fried and the dal batter in the innermost areas will remain uncooked (kachha).

Secondly, do not over fry the Vada otherwise the outer layer will become tough and it will not soak the Dahi properly.

11. Soak the fried Vadas in water for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Then, gently press the vada with your palms to squeeze out the water.

12. Dip the Vadas in the prepared Dahi and keep the vadas soaked for at least 4 to 5 hours before serving. This will ensure that the Dahi vadas very soft and juicy. Very delicious Cuttack Style Dahi Vada is Ready. Enjoy!!!