Dahi Bhalla
Pakistan's yogurt-and-fritter snack: urad dal fritters soaked soft, drowned in spiced cold yogurt and crowned with tamarind and chutneys.
Overview
Dried urad dal (white, sometimes labelled "white lentils" or "split urad") soaks overnight, then blends with ginger, green chilli and a small amount of water into a smooth thick batter. Whipped vigorously for 5 minutes to incorporate air (this is what makes the fritters light). Asafoetida and salt season; baking soda activates right before frying. Fritters drop into 175°C oil; fry for 3-4 minutes until amber. Lifted into a wide bowl of lukewarm water; soaked for 10 minutes; squeezed gently between palms to remove most water. Plated in shallow bowls; flooded with sweet salted spiced yogurt; topped with chutneys, chaat masala, pomegranate, fresh coriander, a sprinkle of crushed papri or sev for crunch.
Ingredients
Fritters (bhalla)
- 200 g dried urad dal (white split - sold at South Asian shops; sometimes called "split white lentils")
- 2 cm fresh ginger (grated)
- 1 green chilli (chopped)
- 60-80 ml cold water (for blending)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon asafoetida (hing - sold at Indian shops)
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ½ teaspoon baking soda (added just before frying)
For frying
- 1 litre vegetable oil
Spiced yogurt
- 600 g full-fat Greek yogurt (or hung yogurt)
- 60 ml cold water (to thin)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons caster sugar (the sweet note is essential; not optional)
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground roasted cumin (see Notes)
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
Toppings
- 4 tablespoons sweet tamarind chutney
- 4 tablespoons green mint-coriander chutney (or blitz coriander + mint + green chilli + lime + salt)
- 1 teaspoon Chaat Masala
- 4 tablespoons pomegranate seeds (the Pakistani touch)
- 4 tablespoons sev (crispy chickpea-flour noodles) or crushed papri (small fried wheat crackers)
- 3 tablespoons fresh coriander (chopped)
- A pinch of extra ground roasted cumin and chilli powder
Method
Stage 1 - Soak the urad dal
- Cover urad dal with 1 litre cold water; soak 8-12 hours.
- Drain; rinse.
Stage 2 - Batter
- Place drained urad dal, ginger and green chilli in a powerful blender with 60 ml cold water.
- Blend to a very smooth thick batter - like very thick whipped cream. Add more water 1 tablespoon at a time only if necessary.
- Tip into a wide bowl.
Stage 3 - Whip
- Whip vigorously with a wooden spoon (or stand mixer paddle) for 5 minutes - the batter visibly lightens in colour and increases in volume.
- Stir in salt, asafoetida and white pepper.
- Test the float-test: drop a small ball into cold water - if it floats, the batter has enough air. If it sinks, whip another 2 minutes.
Stage 4 - Spiced yogurt
- Whisk yogurt, water, salt, sugar, ground roasted cumin and chilli powder in a wide bowl.
- Refrigerate.
Stage 5 - Fry
- Heat oil to 175°C.
- Just before frying, stir baking soda into the batter.
- Drop tablespoons of batter into the oil; fry 4-5 at a time, 3-4 minutes, turning, until deep amber.
- Lift into a wide bowl of lukewarm water.
Stage 6 - Soak
- Soak the fritters 8-10 minutes in the lukewarm water. They absorb water and become spongy-soft.
- Lift each one out and gently squeeze between palms to remove most of the water (don't crush; just press out excess).
Stage 7 - Assemble (per bowl)
- Place 3 squeezed fritters in a wide shallow bowl.
- Pour cold spiced yogurt over to fully cover the fritters.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon tamarind chutney in lines.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon green chutney in lines.
- Sprinkle chaat masala, pomegranate seeds, sev or papri, fresh coriander, extra cumin and chilli powder.
Stage 8 - Serve
- Eat with a spoon, cold or at room temperature. Don't reheat.
Optional - Ground roasted cumin
- Toast 2 tablespoons cumin seeds in a dry pan over medium 3 minutes until deep brown and aromatic. Cool. Grind to powder. Keeps 2 months in a jar.
Notes
- Whip the batter: Light, airy fritters depend on whipping air into the batter. Insufficient whipping gives dense, hard fritters that won't absorb the yogurt properly.
- Soak in lukewarm water: Not cold (won't fully soften) and not hot (cooks the surface). Lukewarm is right. The 8-minute soak transforms the fritters from crisp to spongy.
- Sweet yogurt is the point: Pakistani dahi bhalla is sweet-sour-salty-spicy all at once. Don't omit the sugar - bland yogurt makes a sad bowl.
Storage
- Soaked fritters in spiced yogurt: best within 2 hours; the toppings should go on at the moment of serving.
- Cooked but unsoaked fritters: refrigerate 3 days; soak in lukewarm water just before serving.
- The spiced yogurt alone keeps 3 days.
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