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6 Min
09/03/2026
India has an obsession with vadas, and it has been around since ancient times and back then, it was still the same vada, made with lentils, soaked in a liquid made with milk and curd. This might be the Godfather of the modern vada, and only slight changes exist with the milk being opted out in today’s dahi vada, and it being replaced with water instead. This preparation of the dahi vada recipe changes with different regions in India, with some preferring a sweeter fare (the West) and some a saltier one (the South).
The base technique for the dahi vada recipe remains consistent across regions, with urad dal soaked overnight, which is then ground into a batter and deep-fried. The vadas go briefly into warm water after frying, then is transfer into a liquid pool of seasoned yoghurt. Beyond this point, the dahi vada recipe changes in almost every direction, from the vada batter, the shape of it, whether the curd is sweet, sour, has a spicy tempering, and what gets piled on top. Spread through Mughal-era court kitchens, trade routes, and pilgrimage culture, the dish today exists in at least six distinct regional forms.
More of a chat favourite, dahi bhalla is the North Indian street-food favourite, with the batter made with moong dal alongside urad dal (might also have chana dal), making for a light vada. The batter is whisked vigorously after grinding to incorporate air. After frying, vadas go immediately into warm water. They're squeezed and placed into thick, whisked and lightly sweetened yoghurt. Vadas may be topped with anything starting with coriander or mint leaves, to chilli powder, chaat masala, or boondi. Tamarind and green chutney are common in this one.
This one’s the South Indian dahi vada recipe and does away with sweetness completely. The vadas are doughnut-shaped, usually made with leftover medu vadas, made from urad dal batter with ginger, green chilli, curry leaves, and pepper. The hole in the centre allows yoghurt to reach the vada's core during soaking, which changes the texture. A paste of fresh grated coconut, green chillies, ginger, and cumin is folded into beaten fresh curd for the dahi base. The curd base also has a tempering of mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, green chillies, cumin and ginger.
Perhaps the most unique dahi vada recipe, for Odias, this street food is their heart and soul. The baras (as vadas are called in Odia) are made from overnight-soaked urad dal, with a bit of semolina (rava) added to the batter, right before frying. After frying, the baras are first put in water and then transferred to thin yoghurt water for soaking for 3-5 hours. The baras are put on a plate with ghugni on top, a gravy made with white peas, then comes the aloo dum, a thick gravy of slow-cooked potatoes. Then come chopped onion, green chillies, coriander, kala namak, jeera-lanka powder, and crispy sev.
Maharashtra's dahi vada recipe is the sweetest of them all, with the whisked curd base veering into mithai territory. Sweeter curd is preferred in some places in India, especially in Maharashtra and Gujarat, although the garnishing remains the same. The vadas use urad dal as the base, but the Maharashtrian version sometimes incorporates a small proportion of besan (chickpea flour) into the dahi vada recipe batter, which makes firmer vadas. The curd goes first, then the vadass and the toppings follow the North Indian chaat habit. Gujarat's dahi vada recipe goes further and uses a thinner yoghurt mixture and includes a date tamarind chutney.
Subtlety is the crux of the Bengali dahi vada recipe that uses a tangier curd rather than a sweet one, and while the vada is made from urad dal (with spices added later) with the same principles as its Northern cousins, ‘bhaja moshla’ in the soaking liquid makes it stand out. The boras are round with no hole in the centre, and they go into a lightly salted brine soak after frying rather than plain warm water, which is also flavoured with a tempering of mustard seeds, split chillies, ginger and curry leaves. Toppings range from tamarind chutney, black salt, and roasted cumin powder.
Across India, the dahi vada recipe proves how one lentil dumpling can travel across the country and still remain recognisable. The differences in yoghurt seasoning, toppings, and batter variations which reveal how locals love their food at home. What remains constant is the technique and the comfort it offers, that feeds locals and tourists alike.
