Urad Dal Dahi: Curd will dissolve as soon as it goes in the mouth. Mix just half a spoon of this white powder in the solution of big urad dal.

News India Live, Digital Desk: Be it Holi, Diwali or any special guest is coming to the house, Dahi Bade is a dish which is everyone’s first choice. But people often complain that home made curd is not as soft and spongy as the big market curd. Sometimes the vadas remain hard from the middle or they do not have that mesh which is the identity of a perfect dahi vada. If this happens to you too, then there is no need to worry now. A little kitchen hack will make your curd vadas as soft as cotton.

Do not make this mistake while grinding pulses

The first condition for making soft curd is to grind the pulses properly. When you grind urad dal after soaking it for at least 5-6 hours, use minimum water. Instead of being very fine, the lentil paste should be slightly coarse. After grinding the pulses, the most important task is to beat it. Beat the dal in one direction until it turns light white in color and looks puffed up and light. To check this, put some dal in a bowl of water, if it starts floating then understand that the batter is ready.

That magical ‘white powder’ that will change the taste

If you want your curds to become spongy instantly without much effort, then just add half a teaspoon to the dal batter. ‘Baking Soda’ (Sweet Soda) Mix well. This is the secret white powder that speeds up the fermentation process of the lentils and fills the air inside the lentils while frying. By adding baking soda, there are no lumps in the middle of the vadas and they get cooked well from inside. Keep in mind that add soda only when you are completely ready for big frying.

Correct method of frying and soaking

Always fry the vadas on medium flame. On very high flame, the balls will turn red from outside but will remain raw from inside. Immediately after frying, put them in lukewarm water instead of normal water. Add a little salt and asafoetida to this water. Asafoetida water not only enhances the taste but also helps in digesting curd. Let the vadas remain immersed in water for about 20-30 minutes, then press gently to extract the water and add it to the thickly whipped curd.

The magic of spices and garnishing

The real taste of Dahi Bade lies in its spices. After adding the curd, sprinkle roasted cumin powder, black salt and red chili powder on top. Along with this, the combination of sweet-sour tamarind chutney and spicy green chutney will give it a look and taste exactly like ‘Chaat Bhandar’. If you adopt this trick, then believe me the curd made by you will become everyone’s favorite in the house.