Dahi bhalla

Ingredients
For Bhalla:
1/2 cup urad dal/split gram with skin
1/2 cup moong dal with skin
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp salt
1 tsp finely chopped ginger & green chilli

For the dipping of bhallas:
Warm water – 1 bowl
Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp
Salt

For sweet curd:
500 ml plant-based curd
1 tbsp jaggery
Sweet/meethi chutney
Green chutney

For the Plating (per person)
1 tbsp sev
1 tbsp sweet/meethi chutney
1 tbsp green chutney
3 tbsp plant based sweet dahi
½ tsp freshly chopped coriander
½ tsp chaat masala
½ tsp dahi bhalla masala

Method

For the bhallas:

1. Wash urad dal and moong dal thoroughly. Throw away the water.
2. Soak dal in 2 cups of water for at least 4-5 hours.
3. After 4-5 hours, grind the dal in the wet grinder or in the mixture grinder.
4. Grind to a fine paste. Add water little by little if required. The batter should not be runny, it should be of thick consistency.
5. Transfer the batter into a bowl and beat the batter till it becomes light and fluffy. If you grind the dal in a wet grinder, it will automatically become light and fluffy.
6. You may beat the batter using a spoon or spatula. You may also use electric beater. Beat it in one direction i.e., if you are beating in clockwise direction beat in same direction till it becomes light and fluffy.
7. Add cumin seeds, salt and finely chopped ginger and green chilli. Again, beat for some time till all ingredients mix well.
8. Let the batter sit for around half an hour.
9. Place the appe pan on medium heat. Grease it with little oil.
   10.Make balls of the batter and place in the appe pan. Close the pan with the lid. Cook the bhallas for 5 minutes.
   11.Flip the bhalla when they turn little brownish on the other side. Now you need not cover it with lid.
   12.Cooking of the bhallas will take around 10 minutes on both the sides.
   TIP: How do you know your batter is light and fluffy – batter test?
10. Take some water in a bowl. Roll one small batter ball and drop it in the bowl.
11. If the batter is light and fluffy the ball will float or else will stick to the bowl.

For the soaked bhallas:

1. Let the dahi bhalla cool down a little.
2. Add lukewarm water to a large bowl.
3. Add asafoetida and salt.
4. Soak all the bhalla in water for at least 3 hours. The bhalla will soak most of the water.

For the sweet curd:

1. Take 500 gm of peanut curd in a large bowl. Beat the curd with a spoon.
2. Add date paste and little salt.
3. Let this mixture sit for half an hour.

Plating of Dahi Bhalla
Squeeze the soaked bhalla. Do not squeeze completely.
Transfer the dahi bhalla to a serving bowl.
Pour the prepared sweet curd over it.
Add chat masala and dahi bhalla masala.
Add date chutney and green chutney.
Garnish with sev, chopped coriander
Enjoy oil-free delicious dahi bhallas,