Dahi bhalle

A picture is more than a thousand words ! i wish i could play silent on this post and let u on your own for a luxurious, comforting, uplifting and an almost ruminating experience through my galleria of dahi bhalle photographs! But only if my wishes had wings and you could read my recipe in invisible ink was the impossible possible ;) 

Dahi bhalle or Dahi bade as they are called, are savory lentil dumplings in yogurt and tamarind sauce. Traditionally served as a chaat item in India , bhalle gives grandeur as a great side dish to any Indian dinner or lunch party. 

Lets hit the right chords to some great bhalle(s) in the making then.

Ingredients:

For the bhalle/ bades

• 1 tea cup or katori , Urad dal/ Skinned split black gram
• 1 tea cup or katori , Yellow mung dal / Skinned split green gram
• 4 pinches Asofetida
• Salt to taste

Additionally to serve,

• Plain yogurt, whisked till smooth
• Tamarind chutney / sauce
• Ground cumin powder
• Salt and red chilli powder to garnish

Soak the split skinned  black and green gram overnight. The next morning, rinse and drain. Now churn it to a fine yet textural paste in your food processor, adding as little water in between as required. And here comes the favorite part of my recipe which makes this deep fried yet oil free bhalle recipe even more healthier. So get set to beat the lentil paste with a ladle for 45mins to an hour ! This step infuses air to the lentil paste which you would soon see  , turns into a light and fluffy batter as its beaten. The more you beat, the softer the bhalles would turn out.  And ya i personally like taking up a tricep-bicep challenge ,so by all means please do use your blender, handmixer or any other gadget  you may wish to use for a nice fluffy batter :) 

Once the batter is fluffed and good, deep fry small portions of the batter in cylindrical shape at high to medium heat. The bhalles can be made well ahead of a party or a dinner and can be easily stored for upto 3-4 weeks in your refrigerator, making  your life so much easier on the big cooking day.

To serve, soak the bhalle/ bades in warm water for 10-15 mins. Squeeze the water by pressing the bhalles between your palms. Be careful not to break as you press.  So you see the deep fried is actually free of oil too ironically. Great isn't it!

Now ladle over some good fresh plain yogurt . Spoon some tamarind chutney and sprinkle cumin / red chilli powders and salt to your taste. The Dahi bhalla is ready!

Enjoy the melt in the mouth , soft and smooth Dahi balles. Yummy !