Sadia Hussain
Mar 7, 2018
Dahi Barras Recipe
Dahi Barras are a cool, savory snack usually served at tea time, in Ramadan for Iftar, during Eid festivals or as a side to a main meal.
This dish can be made with gram flour, but I like to make it with black split lentils/urad lentils. It took me sooo many tries to get these dumplings soft, spongy and round, so I'm pleased to share this recipe with you.
The lentils are soaked overnight, then ground into a paste, deep fried, and soaked in yogurt. No doubt this dish is laborious and time consuming so, I like to make a big batch of dumplings and freeze them to last me several months.
As with most of my recipes, I encourage you to tweak to your own taste. I like to temper my yogurt but you can serve with spicy and sweet chutneys instead. Please do try this lip smacking dish. I just know you will love it!
Dumplings in Yogurt/ Dahi Barras Recipe
Sadia Hussain
SERVES
8
TOTAL TIME
1 Hour (plus overnight soaking)
INGREDIENTS
1 cup split black lentils, urad lentils (soaked overnight)
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder or to taste
A pinch of baking powder
Oil for deep frying
For the Yogurt
3 cups full fat yogurt
1 teaspoon sugar or to taste
1 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
For the Tempering
Cooking oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced
4-5 dried, red chilies
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
5-6 fresh curry leaves
1 teaspoon red chili flakes to sprinkle on top (optional)
METHOD
In a blender, add half the soaked lentils, salt, ginger and red chili powder.
Add a little warm water, just enough to blend into a thickish paste.
In a large bowl, take out the first half of the ground lentil paste.
Add the rest of the soaked lentils and baking powder and grind with a little warm water into a thickish paste.
Add remaining mixture to a large bowl. You want to incorporate air into this mixture.
With a hand mixer or by hand, mix for about 5 minutes while you heat oil on medium heat in a deep frypan.
Fill a teaspoon of the lentil paste, put your spoon very close to the oil and carefully slide the paste off the spoon with your finger into the hot oil. Be careful not to overcrowd your pan.
When the dumplings bounce to the top of the oil, carefully mix and fry until light brown.
Take out each batch of dumplings on paper towels or a strainer to allow oil to drain.
In a large bowl, add warm water and drained dumplings.
Let the dumplings soak in water for about 10 minutes.
Take each dumpling and gently press the water out with 4 fingers at the bottom of the dumpling and 4 fingers at the top of the dumpling.
Place pressed dumplings in a dish.
In a bowl, mix yogurt, sugar and salt until creamy.
Pour yogurt mixture evenly on top of the dumplings.
In a small frypan, heat oil and add garlic, red chilies and cumin.
Fry on medium heat until light brown.
Take off the heat and add curry leaves.
Pour evenly over the top.
Sprinkle with red chili flakes (optional).
Tips and Bits
I encourage you to make this in a big batch and freeze in freezer bags so you can enjoy this dish any time. You want to let the dumplings cool after they are drained then freeze.
You do not need to temper this dish if you prefer not to. Top with spicy green chutney or sweet tamarind chutney instead.
You can add chickpeas, cubed potatoes, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, chopped coriander and chopped green chilies to the yogurt for a variation.
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