Dahi Wada: A Cooling Snack or Side Dish

Ingredients:

• 1½ cup Urad Dal (husked and split black gram)
• 2 1½ cups cooking oil
• 2 cups plain yogurt, stirred until smooth and loose
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1½ tsp. ground hot red pepper (cayenne) powder
• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin, lightly toasted in a dry pan
• Salt to taste
• Chopped cilantro for garnish

Cooking:

Soak urad dal in water for 5-6 hours. Drain the dal and grind it into a paste in a food processor or blender. Add salt to taste.

Allow this mixture to sit for another 5-6 hours.

Heat the oil over medium heat. Using damp hands roll the urad dal mixture into small balls, about the size of a golf ball. Flatten slightly against your palm. Deep fry in the oil until they are golden brown and crisp. Set fried balls aside to drain.

In a large bowl put 2 cups of plain yogurt. Add 2 Tablespoon of sugar and mix it well to dissolve the sugar.

Remove about half of the yogurt mixture to another dish and add all of the fried balls into it Stir to make sure all the wada (the balls) are coated. Set aside so that the balls will soak up the yogurt.

Serve in small bowls. For each serving, put in 2 pieces of soaked wada and spoon a little of the reserved yogurt on top. Sprinkle each with a pinch of red pepper powder, roasted cumin, and a little chopped cilantro