Thayir Vadai | Curd Vadai | Lentil dumplings in Yogurt Sauce

Thayir vadai is my all time favorite. I remember that this used to be the first thing I order as a kid in any restaurant. Now in US, I am not able to find any decent tasting Thayir Vadai. Hence started making this often at home. Since curd is one of the most liked in my house, for sure this is a favorite.


Makes 20
Ingredients Required:

For the vadai:
Whole Urad Dhal - 1.5 cups
Salt - to taste
Rice Flour - 2 tblsp
Green Chillies - 2
Cilantro - 2 tblsp (finely chopped)
Oil - for deep frying

For the Yogurt Sauce:
Thick yogurt - 2 cups
Mint - few
Cilantro - few
Green Chilli - 1
Salt - to taste
Sugar - 1 tsp

How to make?
Soak the urad dhal for 4 hours and grind to a fluffy batter without adding water or minimum water.
Add salt, green chillies and cilantro and grind for few seconds.
Mix in rice flour. Set aside.

Grind the Cilantro, green chilly, mint, salt, sugar to a paste. whisk it in yogurt.
Set the yogurt in a wide bottom serving dish.

Boil water next to the oil and keep warm.

Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan on medium heat.
Keep a bowl of water next to the batter mix.
Wet your hands, take a ball of batter, gently pat into vadai shaped between your 4 fingers and thumb.
Drop it in the hot oil.
You can fry 4 to 5 vadai at the same time depending on the size of your pan.
Flip over after a minute and remove from oil when golden brown in color.
Drop the vadai in the warm water. Let stay for few minutes so it softens.
Press the extra water from the soaked vada by pressing it between two ladles or spoons.
Place this vada in the yogurt sauce.
Repeat for the rest of the batter.
Chill for an hour.

Server with cilantro garnished on top.

Notes:
Rice flour is added to the batter to make it more crispy.
Dumping in hot water will make the vada soft, and would absorb the yogurt sauce.

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