Add water in parts and grind all the ingredients to a smooth fluffy batter. On touching the batter, it should not feel grainy. I added 6 to 7 tbsp water. Depending on the quality of lentils and the capacity-volume of grinder, you can add less or more water. Don’t add too much water as then the vadas become too crispy and soak a lot of oil.
Take the ground batter in a bowl.
Add salt.
stir the batter briskly for a couple of minutes. This brisk stirring makes the batter more light and fluffy.
The test to a correct consistency of this batter is the Floating test. take some water in a small bowl. Add 1 tsp of a batter in the water. The batter should float. If it does not float, this means the consistency is thin. Add some sooji or rice flour to the batter to thicken it.
Frying bhalla
Heat a kadai or pan with oil for deep frying.
When the oil becomes medium hot, add a small amount of batter in the oil. It should come steadily and quickly on the surface. This means it is the right temperature to fry. Too cold oil will make the vada soggy with oil and too high will brown them faster from outside, leaving the center uncooked.
Add spoonfuls of the batter in the oil.
Add according to the capacity of the pan or kadai.
When they become pale golden, then turn them.
Fry the vada till they become golden and crisp. turn them a couple of times for even frying. fry till golden and crisp.
Remove with a slotted spoon.
drain on paper towels. Fry all the vada in the same way.
Once all the vada are done with frying, then take 2.5 cups water in a wide bowl or pan. and add the vada to the water.
Soak them for 20 to 25 minutes.
Take each vada and flatten and press between your palms to remove excess water.. Do this with all the vada.
Making dahi bhalla
Take 2 cups fresh chilled curd in a bowl.
Beat the curd till smooth.
Now gently place these vadas in the curd.
Gently mix if you have used medium sized bowl, like how I have used. Now you can keep the vadas with the curd in the fridge and assemble when you want to serve. Or use them right away as the curd is chilled.
Gather and assemble all your other ingredients like – boiled potato cubes, boiled white chickpeas, green chutney, tamarind chutney, pomegranate arils and the spice powders.
To make individual portions of dahi bhalla, place 4 to 5 papdis in a plate.
Place 2 to 3 dahi vada in a plate. Add more curd or dahi if required.
Top up with some boiled potatoes and chickpeas.
Now add the green chutney and tamarind chutney.
Sprinkle red chili powder, roasted cumin powder, chaat masala and black salt as per taste.
Serve dahi bhalla immediately garnished with some chopped coriander leaves. You can also garnish dahi bhalle with fine sev.
