Lipsmacking Savory Dahi Vada Recipe from the South Indian Cuisine - Thayir Vadai made guilt free by cooking the vadas in appe pan. Low oil, easy to make ahead snack recipe.
Thayir Vadai or Curd Vada is a South Indian snack made with lentil dumplings coated with thick yogurt and served with spices, fresh coriander, hint of chili powder and topped with grated carrots or kara boondi.
Traditionally, the lentil dumplings are deep fried. However, I am sharing a "No Deep Fry" version as this is something we have switched over to at home to avoid excess oil.
The lentil dumplings are cooked in a paniyaram or appe pan instead of deep frying in oil. Further it is soaked in water to soften and excess water is squeezed out.
Curd vada is then coated with cool and thick yogurt, sprinkled with chili powder, cumin and lots of coriander. It is tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaves and served in a bowl garnished with grated carrots and/or kara boondi.
It is a perfect snack on a hot summer day. Our low-oil thayir vadai recipe makes it slightly guilt-free.
There is no comparison to deep fried vadai but the paniyaram pan version is not tasteless. It is for anyone who wishes to snack on their favorites without the excess oil.
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About South Indian Thayir Vadai
Thayir Vadai comprises of 2 key components - "Thayir" which is Yogurt or curd in Tamil and "Vadai" or Urad Dal Vada / lentil dumplings.
Traditionally, Urad Dal Vada is deep fried, soaked in water to soften and squeezed out before getting immersed in yogurt and spices.
South Indian Thayir Vadai is different than North Indian Dahi Bhalla. Dahi Bhalla is served with tamarind chutney, coriander mint chutney and a generous sprinkle of chaat masala powder. There is no tempering or tadka.
Curd Vadai on the other hand is garnished with kara boondi (crispy gram flour balls), carrots and a tempering of curry leaves and mustard seeds. The yogurt mixture is a combination of sweet, savory and spicy.
South Indians enjoy Vadai with Rasam (Rasam Vada) and Sambar (Vada Sambar). It is a popular breakfast dish across India.
Deep fried dahi vadai can be easily made low-oil by using appe pan, paniyaram pan or abelskiever pan.
The vadai can be cooked and stored in the refrigerator for couple of days to make dahi vada, as required.
Check out the easy recipe below with step by step pics of the process to obtain spongy vadas inspite of not frying them.
Thayir Vadai - Step by Step Recipe
Wash and soak the Urad Dal for 2 hours. Drain the water used for soaking.
Grind the Urad Dal along with green chillies, ginger into a fine paste (with water as required). Check the picture below for consistency.
Add salt to taste, hing and rice flour. Rice flour is added for crispiness (since we are not going to deep fry)
(2) Heat an appe pan or paniyaram pan. Add oil and slowly pour the batter into the small shallow holes of the pan (as shown below). Cover and cook on low heat.
(3) Flip, add few drops of oil, cover and cook again until the vadas have cooked in the centre.
(4) Take 2-3 cups of water in a bowl and add these piping hot vadas into them. The vadas will turn softer and larger in size. Gently squeeze the excess moisture and keep aside.
(5) In the meanwhile, repeat the process of cooking the vadas in appe pan, adding them in water, squeezing and keeping aside until the batter has been used up.
(6) Whisk the curd well, add some water to get the desired consistency. Add some salt.
(7) Soak the vadas in the dahi mixture and add grated carrots, coriander leaves. Prepare for tempering.
(8) Pour the tempering over the dahi vadas. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves, red chilli powder and enjoy it chilled.
Top Tips for making non-fried Dahi vada
Rice Flour - Added to provide crispy texture. Makes batter light as the vada is not deep fried.
Salt - If you have issue with vada soaking a lot of oil, avoid adding salt in advance. Applicable for both deep frying and cooking in appe pan.
Curd or Yogurt - Ensure it is fresh, thick and CHILLED. Watery yogurt is a strict No-No. Fresh yogurt is not sour. For some reason, if the yogurt tastes sour, add some milk and whisk the curd well.
Making ahead - Appe pan dahi vada can be made ahead and stored in zip-lock covers under refrigeration. Re-heat in a microwave for 1 minute High, soak in water and proceed to make dahi vada, as required.
Serving Thayir Vadai at party - Prep the yogurt with spices, keep the vada soaked in water and ingredients for garnish ready. Once guests arrive, squeeze out the vada, assemble in a serving tray or bowl, add the yogurt mix, garnish, temper and serve.
FAQ
Yes, these can be cooked in the paniyaram pan and then stored in the refrigerator, either in a ziplock bag or container. Stays fresh for atleast 3 to 4 days.
Grated Carrot, Beetroot juliennes, Kara Boondi or even South Indian Mixture are excellent topping ideas for thayir vadai.
You can insert a skewer or tooth-pick and check whether the vada is cooked. Always ensure the flame is low, lid is placed on top of the pan while cooking the vadas. The steam helps in cooking the centre.
Extra vadas can be reheated in the microwave for 30 seconds and then dunked into curd, sambar or rasam as per your preference. They can also be served with a side of chutney for breakfast.
More South Indian Snack recipes
Vazhaipoo Vadai in Air Fryer - Masala Vada made with Banana Flowers in Air Fryer.
Air Fryer Millet Murukku - Made with Jowar or Cholam flour.
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Thayir Vadai Recipe | Curd Vada (No Deep Frying)
Equipment
- Appe Pan or Paniyaram Pan
- Mixer Grinder
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS FOR VADAI (Urad dal Vada) BATTER
- 1 ½ cups Urad Dal or Ulutham Paruppu
- 1-2 nos Green chillies Adjust quantity according to your taste
- Ginger or Adrak (1 inch x 2 pieces)
- ½ tsp Asafoetida or hing skip this ingredient for gluten free recipe
- 2 tbsp Rice Powder or Arisi Maavu
- Water (2 to 3 cups for soaking Urad Dal + as required for grinding)
- Oil as required to cook the vadas in appe pan
- Salt to taste
INGREDIENTS FOR THE THAYIR OR CURD MIXTURE
- 3 cups Dahi or Thick yogurt Use Fresh Curd
- ½ cup Water (to adjust consistency)
- Salt to taste
INGREDIENTS FOR TEMPERING
- 2 tsp Oil
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- Curry Leaves as required
INGREDIENTS FOR GARNISH / SERVING
- ½ cup Grated carrots
- Red Chilli powder to sprinkle on top Kashmiri Red chilli powder
- finely chopped coriander leaves as required
Instructions
- Wash and soak the Urad Dal for 2 hours. Drain the water used for soaking.
- Grind the Urad Dal along with green chillies, ginger into a thick batter consistency (using water as required).
- To the ground urad dal batter, add salt to taste, hing and rice flour. Rice flour is added for crispiness (since we are not going to deep fry). Beat the batter well for a couple of minutes until its soft in texture.
- Heat an appe pan or paniyaram pan. Add oil and slowly pour the batter into the small shallow holes of the pan. Cover and cook on low heat
- Flip, add few drops of oil, cover and cook again until the vadas have cooked in the centre.
- Take 2-3 cups of water in a bowl and add these piping hot vadas into them. The vadas will turn softer. Gently squeeze the excess moisture and keep aside.
- In the meanwhile, repeat the process of cooking the vadas in appe pan, adding them in water, squeezing and keeping aside until the batter has been used up.
- Whisk the curd well, add some water to get the desired consistency. Add some salt.
- Soak the vadas in the dahi mixture and add grated carrots, coriander leaves. Prepare for tempering.
- Pour the tempering over the dahi vadas, garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves, sprinkle some red chilli powder and enjoy it chilled.
Notes
- If you are serving thayir vadai for guests - Just keep the curd ready in the refrigerator along with the vadas soaked in water etc and assemble everything together, temper once guests arrive. That way the vadas look fresh, won't drink up all the yogurt and be spongy too.
- If you require the vadas for regular consumption. Cook them in appe pans and store them in a zip lock bag / steel or glass container with a lid in the refrigerator. Add it to simmering sambar or rasam and consume the next day or even the day after. Ensure you microwave for 30 seconds and then add it to the rasam or sambar so that it soaks the liquid and turns soft.
- Planning to make dahi vada next day. Prepare the vadas and refrigerate them. The next day, microwave the vadas for 1 minute and add them immediately to water. Allow it to soften, squeeze and follow the rest of the procedure.
- For best results, before serving, always chill your vadas and yogurt both. It tastes amazing especially during summers.
- I have used Himalayan Pink salt here. You can use any salt variety.
- I have used home made thick fresh curd made with cow milk. You can use store bought too but ensure that it is not khatta or sour. If you find the same khatta or a bit sour and your guests arrive - Add a bit of milk instead of water and adjust the consistency.
- For fluffy soft wadas, always add salt just before frying or in this case appe pan. Adding salt while grinding makes the vadas drink up extra oil.
- The rice flour is added for a bit of crispiness. I made half the batch into Rasam vada the next day.
- These vadas stay good in your refrigerator for 2 days.
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We will be back again with yet another exciting recipe .. Until then, stay healthy and happy!
Vidya Narayan
My mouth watering ? perfect Dahi Vada ?
Thanks so much
So well written! Superb click!
That paniyaram pan is truly a saviour.... I too prefer using it!
Thank you Pooja and I so agree about the 'saviour' part! Cheers!
Welcome ?
Vidya perfect for the occasion.
Thank you so much Rita. Happy Holi to you and family!
I like the idea of making them in the appe pan. South Indian style thayir vadai is my favourite. The carrot garnishing is giving an added beauty to the dish.
Thank you so much
so colorful and plate looks inviting and love that you used the paniyaram pan to make them!
Thanks So much. Glad you stopped by.
I like this non-fried version of Dahi Vada in Appe Pan.. still have to get one .. so perfect for summers , light and not too oily.Very well explained steps with images..
Thank you Swaty. It does require patience but then all good things do!
Dahi Vedas are my weakness too and thank God we can make them in the appe pan, without frying them. I love the carrot garnish on top. I'd probably make a mixture of the south and north to get the maximum of both.
Thanks so much Mayuri. Appe Pans are a blessing indeed.
Indeed one of my weakness too. I can just eat them unlimited. Making it in an appe pan makes it guilt free. Even I make Iit with urad Dal, but did not add rice powder anytime. love the addition of rice powder to this, will try with it next time.
For deep frying i don't add rice flour. This is only for appe pan to develop crispy outer layer of the vada. Glad you liked it Renu.thanks.