Air-Fried Dahi Vada: A Quick, Crispy Treat

Dahi vada is a popular Indian street food and a perfect snack for any festive occasion. This delicious dish consists of lentil fritters soaked in creamy yogurt and topped with fragrant spices and tangy chutneys. While the traditional method involves deep-frying the lentil dumplings, you can also make them in an air fryer for a healthier, guilt-free treat. Here's a step-by-step guide to making mouth-watering dahi vada in an air fryer.

Soak urad dal in water for 4-6 hours

Soaking the urad dal in water for 4-6 hours is an essential step in making dahi vada, a popular Indian street food and festive treat. The urad dal, or split black gram, is the star ingredient, providing the perfect soft and fluffy texture for the vadas. By soaking the dal, you are changing its physical properties, making it softer and easier to grind or blend into a smooth paste or batter. This process also allows the dal to absorb water, which is necessary for the vadas to puff up and become light and airy during cooking.

The ideal soaking time for urad dal is between 4 and 6 hours, with some recipes specifying a minimum of 4 hours and others suggesting an overnight soak. During this time, the dal will absorb water and swell, making it softer and easier to work with. It is important not to soak the dal for too long, as this can affect the texture and taste of the final dish.

Once the soaking is complete, you can drain the water and proceed to the next step of blending the dal with spices and other ingredients to create the batter for the vadas. This step will vary depending on the specific recipe you are following, but it typically involves adding ingredients such as ginger, green chillies, asafoetida, salt, and minimal water to create a smooth and thick batter.

Drain and blend urad dal with ginger, green chillies and asafoetida

To make dahi vada in an air fryer, you'll need to start by soaking your urad dal. Use one cup of urad dal and soak it in three cups of water for at least four hours, or even overnight. Once the dal is soft, drain the water and set it aside.

Now it's time to blend the dal with ginger, green chillies and asafoetida. You can do this in a blender. Add just a little water—about one to two tablespoons—and blend until you get a smooth paste. The mix should be smooth but not runny. If you're using an air fryer, you can also add a teaspoon of oil to the mix at this stage.

Once you have your smooth paste, it's important to beat the mix well. This will ensure your vadas are fluffy, light and soft. You can use an electric beater for this step, or do it by hand. Beat the mix for about three minutes until it becomes nice and fluffy.

Preheat air fryer to 150°C or 300°F for 4 minutes

Preheating your air fryer is an important step in making dahi vada, or lentil fritters in yogurt sauce. By preheating your air fryer to 150°C or 300°F for 4 minutes, you create the ideal environment for cooking your vadas evenly and effectively. This step is crucial as it ensures the appliance reaches the desired temperature before you begin cooking.

When preheating, it is important to ensure your air fryer is set to the correct temperature and timing. Setting the temperature too high or low, or preheating for too long or too short a time, can impact the cooking process and final texture of your vadas. 150°C or 300°F for 4 minutes is the sweet spot to ensure your vadas cook through without burning.

During the preheating process, the air fryer's heating elements work to raise the temperature inside the cooking chamber. This step is essential as it creates a consistent temperature environment for cooking. By preheating, you eliminate any temperature fluctuations that could impact the cooking time and quality of your vadas.

Additionally, preheating helps to reduce the overall cooking time. By starting the cooking process at the desired temperature, you can shorten the time needed to fry your vadas, making the process more efficient. This step is particularly important if you are working with a large batch of vadas or are cooking multiple batches.

Moreover, preheating contributes to the overall quality and texture of your dahi vadas. By ensuring a consistent temperature from the outset, you promote even cooking, helping your vadas develop a desirable crispy exterior while remaining soft and fluffy on the inside. This step is key to achieving the signature texture of this popular Indian street food.

Make flat, round vadas on parchment paper and air fry for 8 minutes

Now, it's time to make the vadas! Place a sheet of parchment paper in your air fryer basket, cut to the shape of the basket. Using a ladle or large spoon, place large dollops of medu vada batter right onto the basket. You can make a hole in the centre using your spoon to create the traditional donut shape. If you don't fancy this, you can simply make regular round vadas by ladling the vada mix onto the parchment paper.

Make sure you leave some space between each vada as they will expand during cooking. Air fry at 150°C or 300°F for 8 minutes. The vadas will be half-cooked at this point. Lightly brush each vada with oil and flip them over. Now, increase the temperature to 180°C or 360°F and air fry for another 6-8 minutes. This will ensure they are well cooked and browned.

Increase temperature and air fry for another 6-8 minutes

Now, it's time to increase the temperature to 180 degrees Celsius or 360 degrees Fahrenheit and air fry for another 6-8 minutes. This step is crucial to achieving the desired colour and texture of the vadas. By increasing the temperature, you will ensure that the vadas get browned and develop a nice crunch on the outside while remaining soft and fluffy on the inside.

While the vadas are air frying, you can prepare the sweetened yoghurt by beating the yoghurt and adding salt, black salt, sugar, chat masala, red chilli powder, and cumin powder to taste. You can also prepare the green chutney and tamarind chutney by blending fresh ingredients or using store-bought options.

Keep an eye on the vadas during this final air frying stage, as you want them to achieve a darker golden brown colour without burning. Once they reach the perfect shade of golden brown, remove them from the air fryer and set them aside to cool slightly. The vadas should be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

If you prefer your vadas to be crunchier, you can increase the temperature to 200 degrees Celsius or 390 degrees Fahrenheit and air fry for an additional 2-3 minutes. Keep in mind that the timing may vary depending on your air fryer and the size of your vadas, so adjust accordingly.

Once the vadas are ready, you can assemble the dahi vadas by soaking them in lukewarm water for about 10 minutes. This step will make the vadas softer and lighter in colour. After soaking, gently squeeze out the excess water from each vada by pressing them between your palms.

Frequently asked questions