Dahi Vada-Lentil Dumplings in Yogurt

 I spent my growing up years  in a small town in India. Small towns, small buildings,  greener trees and wider skies . This town I am talking about was so small that it did not even have an air-conditioned restaurant. Though the town had no decent restaurant, but Dahi Vada chat from a small shop carries a big name. I can not think of visiting that town without  enjoying that chat....mouth watering.
 Dahi Vada is  an Indian 'chaat' item popular all over India. It can be served as a great starter or a cold appetizer. Dahi vadas are lentil (moong dal) based savory balls. The hot deep fried vadas are fist put in the warm water and then transfered to fresh beaten yogurt.  To add flavor, it can be topped with coriander leaves, chilli pd, black pepper pd, chat masala, cumin pd or boondi with tamarind chutney.
My love for Dahi Vada convinced me that Dahi Vada is "fried but not oily". I do fry it, though  soaking of the vada in water after the deep frying gets rid of most of the oil, I thinks! It can be my excuse to eat it more and more :-))

Ingredients:
For Vadas
To soak in water for 2 hrs and grind into a smooth paste adding little water(about 3tbsp)
1 cup Moong Dal
1/4 cup Urad dal
1 1/2 tbsp rice
Salt 
1pinch Baking powder

Other ingredients:
Salt
Hing-a pinch
Warm water

For yogurt sauce:
Yogurt-2 cups
Salt
Red chilli powder
Garam masala powder
Coriander leaves
Roasted Cumin powder
Pepper powder
Coriander leaves-a handful chopped

Method:
Soak dal and rice in water for 2 hrs and grind into a smooth paste adding little water(about 3tbsp).Grind the soaked dals with little water to a smooth paste. Add salt and baking powder. Heat oil in a pan and drop vadas into it. Fry till the vadas are golden and crispy. 
Take warm water in a vessel . Add hing and salt to it. Add vadas into it.I like this part most...it gives me an excuse to eat more ;-)  Meanwhile mix salt and red chilly powder to yogurt . Now take out vadas from water pressing lightly and add them in yogurt . For best taste vadas should be soaked in yogurt for minimum 30 mins. Now garnish it with tamarind chutney, red chilli powder, garam masala, roasted cumin powder, pepper powder and coriander leaves.