TANGY , TASTY THAYIR VADAI
Thayir Vadai is an ancient dish. The earliest recipe of the Thayir Vadai is mentioned in the Manasollasa–a Sanskrit encyclopaedia that dates the 12th-century! It is basically bagel-shaped fritters made from seasoned black gram batter soaked in thick curds and garnished with tempered mustard seeds, grated carrots, and other herbs and condiments. It is a famous snack and conversation starter in India. It is also known as Perugu Garelu or Perugu Vada in Telugu, Dahi Bhalla in Punjabi, Thayir vada in Malayalam, Mosaru Vade in Kannada, Dahi Bara in Odia and Doi Bora in Bengali. In South India, it tends to be savoury as opposed to the sweet version served in North India.
This popular dish of India; however, is prepared differently in different areas. The method of soaking and grinding the lentils remain the same as in case of traditional vadas. The North Indian Dahi Bhalla is adorned with a variety of chutney’s – Sweet, tangy tamarind chutney and green coriander chutney is a must. Roasted cumin powder and chaat masala powder is sprinkled on top as the final touch, before serving. In case of South Indian Thayir Vadai, there are no chutney’s involved. Thayir Vadai is quite simple, garnished with basic tempering of mustard seeds, coriander leaves, curry leaves and some grated carrots. Some add kara boondi on top just before serving for the added crunch.
South Indian Style Dahi Vada or Perugu Vada/Perugu Garelu is explicitly served on special occasions or festivals or as an evening snack. This will be a wonderful food, especially during summers. In spite of being a deep-fried snack, it will be a perfect soothing snack on those hot days since it is dunked in yoghurt. On a special occasion, it’s finest served as a starter, appetiser, or as a wonderful complement to other meals.Basically, this delicious, rich, and creamy meal is made by frying lentil vadas and then soaking them in a spicy yoghurt sauce. For seasoning the yoghur, you can use onions, coriander, green chillies, cumin seeds and ginger. You can top up South Indian Style Dahi Vada with your custom additions like coriander leaves, grated carrots, grated coconut or finely chopped cucumber or some crunchy Sev, almost anything to make it more interesting and inviting. Let the vadas soak for a while and then sink your teeth in the resulting goodness of wonderful contrast of textures and flavors!
The nutritional value of dahi vada remains immense due to the presence of lentils and curd. Lentils are rich in protein and curd is an excellent source of calcium, vitamin B-12, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B-2, and several other nutrients. The garnish on dahi vadas such as grated carrot, chopped coriander, and tempered mustard seeds not only adds to taste and nutritional value, but also lends the dish an otherworldly look! Walk into your nearby Amma’s South Indian Restaurant and order for a plate of Thayir Vadai, and it’s no surprise if you ask for more!
