Mamma’s Dahi Bara (Lentil Fritters with creamy Yogurt, Chutney and Spices)

Holi – the Indian festival of Love/ Colors/ Spring. In India this festival is celebrated with much enthusiasm and fun. People visit their friends and relatives and put colors on each other. It is also customary to offer everyone refreshments/ meals and Gujiya (a special sweet prepared only during Holi). As I have shared before, Holi is pretty much like Thanksgiving. You cook a ton of food, then relatives and friends come to visit you and vice versa and every one eats and enjoys homemade food. My mom used to cook till she wasn’t able to fit anything more on our huge dining table! Yes, it was almost like watching a cooking show and even I have participated in it! Now that I am a mom myself, I feel that it is important to carry on and celebrate these special days through food. Dahi Bara comes on top of my list because for some reason, it was a must have at our home. Holi without Dahi Bara was unimaginable! If you have never had this yummy dish before, let me share a few facts about it.

Dahi Bara is a very popular Indian street food. White Lentil (Urad Dal) paste is deep fried to prepare fritters. They are served with whipped yogurt, cilantro and tamarind chutneys and spices. It is also a must have at all weddings as an appetizer and is served at almost all restaurants (big and small) and also at local street vendors. Once the fritters are fried, they are immediately dipped in salted water to make them melt in the mouth delicious.

Growing up, these Baras used to be a must have at every family gathering. Reason? Who can resist the freshly prepared juicy, fluffy, tender, sweet and tangy, perfectly spiced yet mild fritters? My mom used to keep a bowl of crispy fritters as well (for those who don’t prefer having it with yogurt). 

If you have tried the store-bought Dahi Baras before and didn’t like them then please don’t be discouraged. These homemade fritters in fresh yogurt are a game changer. With the flavor and aroma of ginger, asafoetida and cumin seeds who can say no to these mouth watering Dahi Baras?

Try to prepare the cilantro and tamarind chutneys at home for maximum flavor. You can also buy them at any Indian store. Preparing a homemade spice mix is very easy (also I doubt this particular combination will be available readymade). It adds a lot of flavor to the mild Baras with some heat and aroma.

Making these delicious Baras is easy but it does take some planning, so do plan ahead. We start by soaking the lentils overnight in water, then next day, grind and fry them into fritters. Soak them in some salted water. Then we prepare the sauce by whipping the yogurt, preparing the chutneys and the spice mix. Finally, it is time to sit on a comfortable couch, put your feet up, grab a plate of cold Dahi Bara and enjoy! 

This is my mom’s recipe, if you would like to share a recipe that has been passed down to you, please post in the comments. The recipe will be tried and tasted by me then uploaded on the blog with your name. Share the love of food!

Ingredients:

For the Bara (Fritters):

• White Lentils (Urad or Biulir Dal) - 1 cup
• Ginger – 1 inch
• Asafoetida – ¼ teaspoon
• Cumin Seeds – 1 teaspoon
• Salt – 2 teaspoons
• Canola or Vegetable Oil – 2 cups (for deep frying)

To serve:

• Cilantro Chutney – 1 cup
• Tamarind Chutney – 1 cup
• Cumin Powder – 2 teaspoons
• Red Chili Powder – ½ teaspoon
• Black Salt – 1 teaspoon
• Salt – ¼ teaspoon
• Yogurt – 1 tub (about 32 oz.)
• Sugar – 1 teaspoon

Directions:

Preparation for the Baras (Fritters):

• Plan ahead this dish so that the lentils get enough time to soak in water.
• Rinse the lentils in water a couple of times or until the water runs clear.
• Soak them in enough water for at least 7-8 hours (overnight is best).
• Rinse them again.
• Add the Ginger and the lentils in your blender/ mixer grinder/ Nutri Bullet (extractor blade). 
• Grind to a smooth and thick paste, adding a tablespoon of water at a time. 
• Transfer the paste to a bowl, cover and let it cool in the fridge for 2-3 hours.

To fry the fritters:

• Take out the paste from the fridge and keep it on your kitchen counter for 10-15 minutes.
• Add the Asafoetida, Salt (to taste or about ½ teaspoon) and Cumin Seeds and use a hand whisk to mix everything.
• Heat a wok over medium heat and add the oil in it.
• Take a big bowl and add a teaspoon of Salt in it. Add about 2 cups of normal tap water in it. Stir to dissolve the salt.
• Take a plate (for keeping the soaked fritters).
• Test the temperature of the oil by dropping a small ball of lentil paste in it. If the temperature is perfect the paste will take a dip and immediately float on the oil.
• Start dropping spoonfuls of paste in the oil. Do not overcrowd the wok. Fry in a single layer.
• Fry till the fritters turn golden brown on both sides then transfer them to the salted water.
• Let them dip for 5-10 minutes then press each of them lightly between your palms to drain the excess water and transfer to the plate. The soaked fritters will be soft and spongy.

Tip: If you do not want to use all the paste for Dahi Bara you can also make crispy fritters and serve them with a cilantro chutney. Instead of transferring the fried fritters to the salted water, simply transfer them to a plate lined with paper towel (to absorb the extra oil). Serve these hot!

To serve the Dahi Bara:

• Once the fritter part is done serving is quite easy. You can either make the green (Cilantro) and brown (Tamarind) chutneys at home or buy them readymade.
• Make the spice mix: Combine Cumin Powder, Red Chili Powder, Black and White Salts. Transfer the mix to a spice shaker for easy and even sprinkling of spices over the Dahi Bara.

• Next whisk the Yogurt (you may have to add some water to make it more like a sauce).
• Season it with Sugar (optional, but recommended) and about a teaspoon of the spice mix. Whisk to mix and transfer to the fridge till you are ready to serve.
• To serve, take an appetizer plate and place 2-3 Baras on it. Pour a couple tablespoons of the yogurt on it (till the Baras are covered with it). You can also do this step beforehand if you are planning to serve this to guests. Keep the Dahi Baras refrigerated till you are ready to serve.
• Drizzle both the chutneys on top and sprinkle some spice mix.
• Enjoy!

 

Recommended Reading:

• How to Deep-Fry food with Confidence?
• How to make Tamarind Pulp?
• How to check if the oil is hot enough to fry

Love North Indian Chaat (Street Food)? Try these recipes as well:

• Pyaz Ke Pakore (Onion Fritters)
• Samosa (Spicy Potato stuffed Pastries)
• Alur Bora (Mamma’s Potato with Garlic fritters)
• Meethi Chutney Matar Phulki
• Alu Tikiya ki Chaat (Crispy Fried Potato Patties with Dried Peas, Yogurt, Chutney and Spices)
• Methi Pakora (Gram flour and Fenugreek leaves Fritters)
• Palak ke Pakore (Gram flour and Spinach Fritters)
• Alu Cutlet (Crispy Shallow Fried Potato Patties)
• Chole Bhature (Chickpea curry with fried bread)
• Loknath wali Meethi Lassi (Sweet Yogurt based drink)
• Namkeen (Savory Deep Fried Indian Snacks)
• Baked Cumin / Nigella Seeds Namkeens