Need some inspiration for a Navratri recipe? Here is a surprising twist on the classic Dahi Bhalla recipe. These Vrat Dahi Vada or Dahi Bhalla is prepared and cooked the same way like the traditional ones but minus the lentils. Trust me; they taste equally good and delicious. Can be easily customized to suit the vegan diet!
Navratri is around the corner, and I am going through a list of potential falahari recipes that I want to try this year. According to my Navratri meal planner, I needed something chatpata to pair up with kuttu ke atte ki roti . This is where the idea of making Vrat Dahi Vada or Dahi Bhalla just clicked.
Just a heads up, what is Dahi Vada?
Dahi Vada or Dahi Bhalla is one of the most famous street food in North India. Traditional dahi vadas are deep-fried savory lentil fritters that are dipped in seasoned curd and serve cold topped with chutneys. But since it’s Navratri, I have tried the falahari version.
What does Falahari mean?
The term phalahari or falahari refers to ‘phal‘ that means fruit and ‘aahar‘ means diet. When combined together it means– diet that contains fruits and veggies.
What makes up this Vrat Dahi Vada or Dahi Bhalla recipe?
This recipe is prepared with the combination of :
- Sabudana (sago pearls): It’s my go-to vrat ingredient. I like to experiment a lot with sabudana because it’s gluten-free and a great alternative to wheat.
- Potato: to bind the ingredients together.
- Singhara flour (water chestnut flour): flour adds structure and texture to the bhallas.
- Green Chilies: for a spicy kick.
- Cilantro: for flavor and color.
- Spices: adds flavor and depth to this dish.
How to make Vrat Dahi Vada or Dahi Bhalla Recipe?
1. Rinse sabudana under tap water until the water runs completely clear.
2. Transfer the sabudana to a large bowl. Add water to sabudana. Just enough to cover them.
3. Cover and leave it unattended for 3-5 hours.
4. After the soak cycle is done, combine sabudana with boiled potatoes, Singhara flour, green chilies, cilantro, and spices.
5. Mix well until evenly blended.
6. Heat oil in a pan.
7. Meanwhile, let’s shape the vadas. Take a small ball of sabudana mixture. Flatten the ball and make it look like a tikki.
8. Using your finger make an indent in the tikki. It will now look like a vada/bhalla.
9. Carefully lift the vada and fry in hot oil until crispy and brown.
10. Make sure the oil is not too hot. The trick is to cook in medium-hot oil until golden brown, occasionally turning with a slotted spoon.
12. Fry 2-3 bhallas at a time, do not overcrowd the pan.
12. When done, remove the crispy vadas from hot oil with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.
13. Repeat the process with rest of the dough until all the mixture is used up.
How to assemble Vrat ka Dahi Bhalla?
1. Like regular bhallas, you don’t have to soak vrat dahi bhallas in warm water.
2. Combine yogurt, salt, and red chili powder in a large bowl. Whisk constantly until smooth and well blended.
3. Dip all the bhallas in curd. Keep it in the fridge to cool.
4. When ready to eat, transfer the bhallas to a plate. Pour extra yogurt on top. Garnish with red chili powder, vrat ki green chutney, and dried mint leaves. Enjoy!
Faq’s related to this recipe!
Can I substitute Singhara flour with any other flour?
Yes, you can! Other options are kuttu flour (buckwheat flour), arrowroot flour.
My mixture is sticky!
If the mixture is sticky after combining, then the possible reason is extra moisture in the ingredients. To take care of a sticky mix, add a tablespoon of vrat flour and knead again. It should take care of the stickiness. Make sure you adjust the seasonings as well.
Any other way of making vadas, other than frying?
Yes, of course! You can cook them in appe pan (aebleskiver pan). In appe pan, the vadas will be cooked in a shape of a round ball, not as shown in the recipe. But will taste equally good and turn our crispy too. Guaranteed!
Can I make it vegan?
Absolutely! The beauty of this recipe is that it can be made vegan with a simple swap. Simply, exchange regular yogurt for plant-based yogurt. And rest everything remains the same.
Craving for more, try these other vrat recipes:
Vrat Dahi Vada or Dahi Bhalla
INGREDIENTS
VADA/BHALLA INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup Sabudana/Sago Pearls
- 1 big Boiled and peeled potato
- 1 small Chopped green chili
- 1 tablespoon Chopped cilantro leaves
- ½ teaspoon Red chili powder
- 2 tablespoons Singhara flour water chestnut flour
- – – Salt to taste (Vrat salt – Sendha namak)
- Oil for Frying
ASSEMBLING INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups Yogurt
- 1 teaspoon Dried mint leaves (omit if you don’t eat in vrat)
- ½ teaspoon Red chili powder
- – – Salt to taste (Vrat salt – Sendha namak)
INSTRUCTIONS
MAKING BHALLAS
- Rinse sabudana under tap water until the water runs completely clear. Transfer the sabudana to a large bowl. Add water to sabudana. Just enough to cover them.
- Cover and leave it unattended for 3-5 hours.
- After the soak cycle is done, combine sabudana with boiled potatoes.
- Stir in Singhara flour, green chilies, cilantro, and spices.
- Mix well until evenly blended.
- Heat oil in a kadai. Cut a plastic bag.
- Pour few drops of oil over it.
- Take a small ball of sabudana mixture. Flatten the ball and make it look like a tikki.
- Using your finger make an indent in the tikki. It will now look like a vada/bhalla.
- Carefully lift the vada and fry in hot oil until golden brown. Make sure the oil is not too hot. The trick is to cook in medium-hot oil until golden brown, occasionally turning with a slotted spoon.
- When done, remove the crispy vadas from hot oil with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Repeat the process with rest of the dough until all the mixture is used up.
ASSEMBLING BHALLAS
- Like regular bhallas, you don’t have to soak vrat dahi bhallas in warm water. Combine yogurt, salt, and red chili powder in a large bowl. Whisk constantly until smooth and well blended.
- Dip all the bhallas in curd. Keep it in the fridge to cool.
- When ready to eat, transfer the bhallas to a plate. Pour extra yogurt on top. Garnish with red chili powder, vrat ki green chutney, and dried mint leaves. Enjoy!
