Dahi-bhalla

Ingredients:

Dough for bhalla

• 2 tbsp urad dhuli dal (peeled and split black mung beans)

Wright

• 1 liter of plain yogurt or vegan yogurt
• 0.5 cup milk (cow's or vegan)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp dried mint
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped, to taste
• 2 tsp toasted ground cumin
• A pinch of salt, optional

Dahi-bhalla

• Vegetable oil for frying
• 0.5 cup tamarind chutney, store-bought or homemade, see recipe below
• 0.5 cups cilantro chutney, store-bought or homemade, see recipe below
• 1 tbsp. l. chaat masala
• 1 tbsp toasted ground cumin
• 1 cup aloo bhuji or seva (crispy dried noodles, available in Indian stores)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Finely chopped fresh green chili, optional

Tamarind chutney

• 1/4 cup seedless tamarind (available in most Indian and Thai stores)
• 2 tbsp. sugar or to taste
• 5 cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 teaspoon ground red pepper, or to taste
• 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Coarse salt to taste

Cilantro Chutney

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, washed and coarsely chopped
• 2–3 fresh green chili peppers
• 1 piece (2.5 cm) fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2–3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. l. chaat masala
• 12 ice cubes (to maintain bright green color)
• Coarse salt to taste
• Special equipment: deep fat thermometer

Preparation:

1. Dough:
   
   In a large bowl, rinse the dal in cold water. The water will turn milky white. Drain and repeat 3 times or until the water runs clear. Pour 6 cups of cold water into the bowl, add the dal, and let it soak for 6 hours.
2. Remove 1 cup of water from the bowl with the soaked dal and discard the rest. Transfer the dal to a blender and add 1/4 cup of the soaking water. Blend until completely smooth. Add a little more water if the mixture is still thick. The batter should be thick, like pancake batter. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours, or refrigerate overnight and bring to room temperature before using.
3. Prepare raita:
   
   Combine yogurt, milk, sugar, mint, black pepper, and ginger in a bowl. Add cumin and salt, if using. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
   
   Ground roasted cumin:
   Place the seeds in a dry frying pan and toast over medium heat, shaking the pan, until fragrant. Cool the seeds and grind them into a powder.
4. Dahi-bhalla:
   
   When ready to fry, add 12–15 cm of oil to a deep saucepan and heat over medium heat to 175°C.
5. Add about 1.5 teaspoons of salt to the dough. Fill a medium bowl with water. Wet your hands, then carefully roll about 1/4 cup of dough into a ball. Hold the ball in the center of your palm and poke a hole in the center with your finger. If you have trouble making a neat hole in the dough, simply make smaller circles, about 2 tablespoons each, no thicker than 1 cm.
6. Working in batches, carefully drop the rings into the hot oil; the dough will sink and immediately float to the surface. Fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the bhalla with a slotted spoon and transfer to a wire rack or paper towels. We love eating dahi bhalla fresh, but at this point, you can cool the doughnuts completely, transfer them to a container, and freeze them.
7. Bring 2 liters of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add a generous pinch of salt and turn off the heat. After 5 minutes, add all the fried donuts to the water, cover, and let them sit for 5 minutes. Remove the lid; they should plump up. Remove the donuts one by one and gently squeeze the water out of them with your hands.
8. To serve, spoon a third of the prepared raita onto a large serving platter or individual serving plates (preferably shallow ones, so the donuts lay in a single layer). Top with bhalla, then cover with the remaining raita. Drizzle with tamarind-cilantro chutney. Sprinkle with chaat masala and cumin, and garnish with crispy noodles and cilantro. If you prefer a spicier dish, add fresh green chili to taste. Serve immediately.
9. Tamarind chutney:
   
   Place the tamarind, sugar, ginger, ground chili pepper, ground black pepper, and salt in a saucepan with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, for 1.5 hours over medium heat, until the tamarind darkens and the mixture thickens. The chutney should be thick but pourable; add more water if necessary.
10. Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender and puree. Taste and add coarse salt to taste, and more sugar if the sauce is too tart. Return the sauce to the pan and simmer for another 15–20 minutes. Let cool completely. Can be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container for up to 2 months..
11. Cilantro Chutney:
    
    Combine cilantro, chili, ginger, lemon juice, chaat masala, ice cubes, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.