This Dahi Bhalla (dahi baray) recipe is a refreshing and scrumptious traditional Pakistani street food. Soft, fluffy lentil fritters are soaked in spiced yogurt and topped with tamarind chutney for a delectable snack.
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This old family recipe for Karachi-style dahi bhalla results in the softest, fluffiest dahi baras every single time. This will become your go-to recipe once you learn how easy it is to make these popular lentil fritters at home.
This snack is perfect for Iftar, Eid, a tea party, or any other event you plan. It's easy to customize with your favorite chutneys and toppings. Pair it with fruit chaat, spinach pakoras, and mango juice for the perfect Iftari menu.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Incredibly soft bhallas: This dahi bhalla recipe results in a soft melt-in-your-mouth texture that you'll become addicted to! Follow all the ratios and tips below, and you'll be a pro at making soft and fluffy dahi bhallas.
- Freezer-friendly recipe: I love making a large batch of these bhallas and then freezing them to use as needed. Read the FAQS section below for detailed instructions on freezing.
- Customizable recipe: Once your bhallas are ready, you can assemble the final dish in many ways. Change the chutneys, add a crunchy topping, or make a mixed chaat. Details are provided in the 'substitutions' section below.
Ingredient notes
- Urad daal: Also known as mash ki dal, these split black lentils work best for this dahi bhalla recipe. Some recipes use a mixture of urad and moong or chana dal, but I prefer to make it with mash ki dal.
- Water: Use water very sparingly when making the batter. If it gets too runny, you won't be able to form the bhallas.
- Salt: I use salt sparingly in my batter, as the dahi bhallas are later boiled in salted water and then added to the seasoned yogurt.
- Baking soda: This is added to ensure the bhallas are soft. However, I wouldn't exceed the ¼ teaspoon recommended in the recipe. If you mix and aerate the batter as instructed in the recipe card below, your bhallas will be soft even without this.
- Yogurt: Plain, full-fat yogurt results in a sauce with a creamy texture.
- Sugar: Yogurt can sometimes have a sour flavor, and adding a little sugar to it balances the taste.
- Chaat masala: A popular spice blend used in most Pakistani street food snacks, my favorite brand is Shan chaat masala.
- Tamarind chutney: I like to use my tamarind chutney recipe for this dahi bhalla recipe, but you can also use a storebought one.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and recipe instructions.
Substitutions & variations
- Season the batter: I keep my batter simple, but you can add a clove of garlic, a small ¼-inch piece of ginger, cumin powder, red chili powder, and green chili to add more flavor.
- Experiment with the toppings: There are so many ways to layer this basic dahi bhalla recipe; add a cilantro-mint chutney, top with crunchy papdi, or add pomegranate arils.
- Make it a mixed chaat: Add chickpeas, boiled potatoes, chopped onion, and green chilies to a bowl and top with a dahi bhalla, yogurt, and chutney for a delicious and hearty variation.
Dahi Bhalla Video
Step-by-step instructions
- Step 1: Soak your lentils for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Strain and blend them with a quarter cup of water for 2 minutes. Add water in 2 tablespoon increments only if necessary. The dahi bhalla batter should not be too runny.
- Step 2: Transfer the batter to a stand mixer and add the salt and baking soda. Whip this mixture for 2 minutes to aerate it so it doubles in size and has a fluffy texture. Use a mixing bowl and handheld beater if you don't have a stand mixer.
- Step 3: Preheat the 2 cups of cooking oil to 325℉ and turn the heat to medium. Use an ice cream scoop, filling it only halfway, and drop scoops of the batter into the oil.
- Step 4: Cook them for 2 minutes on each side until they are a light golden brown, and then remove to a plate lined with paper towels to allow the oil to drain.
- Step 5: Fill a 6-quart pot half full with water and add two teaspoons of salt. Cover and bring to a rolling boil. Add 4-5 baras to the water and cook for 2 minutes until they are soft to the touch. Set aside on a cookie sheet and cool to room temperature.
- Step 6: Mix the yogurt, milk, sugar, and chaat masala in a bowl and whisk until the mixture is pourable.
- Step 7: Place the cooled bhallas in a wide, shallow bowl and pour the yogurt mixture over them. Top with chaat masala, tamarind chutney, and red chili flakes. Cover and chill before serving.
- Step 8: The dahi bhalla should be spongy in texture on the inside.
Expert Tips
- Don't add too much water to the batter. The dahi bhalla batter must have the texture of a thick paste. If it's too thin, your bhallas will not retain their shape and will break apart during frying.
- Puree the lentils well: If the lentils are not pureed to a fine texture, the dahi bhalla will taste grainy and not be soft. Stick to the 2 minutes recommended in this recipe.
- Aerate the batter: This is the most crucial part of the process, and whipping the batter to create air bubbles makes or breaks your dahi baras.
- Do a float test: Drop a small portion of the dough into a chilled glass of water. If it floats on the surface, your batter is ready to be fried.
- Frying temperature: Preheat the oil to 325℉ and then reduce the heat as you fry the baras. This will ensure that they cook through to the center.
- Test Fry: I always like to test one small dahi bhalla and check if the batter and oil temperature are perfect before frying the whole batch. This allows you to fix the batter and regulate the oil temperature better.
Recipe FAQS
My batter is runny; is there a way to fix this?
Mistakes happen, and if your batter is too runny, add one tablespoon of gram flour at a time until you have the desired consistency.
My bhallas are too soft; what did I do wrong?
Over soaking the lentils or boiling the bhallas for too long can make them too soft.
How do I store my leftovers?
Leftover dahi bhallas can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Freezing them once mixed with the yogurt and chutneys is not an option.
How do I batch and freeze the dahi bhallas?
Make a large batch of the dahi bhallas. Once they're fried, cool them and freeze them in batches in a Ziploc bag. Defrost as needed, boil them in salted water, and mix with the yogurt and chutneys.
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Dahi Bhalla (Dahi Baray)
Dahi Bhalla (Dahi Baray) is a Pakistani snack of soft, fluffy lentil fritters soaked in spiced yogurt and topped with tamarind chutney.
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Ingredients
The Bhallas
- 1 cup urad dal (mash ki dal)
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups cooking oil (see notes)
The Yogurt
- 4 cups plain yogurt
- ½ cup milk
- 4 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon chaat masala (see notes)
The Toppings
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
- ⅓ cup tamarind chutney (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
Instructions
The Bhallas
- Rinse the urad dal to remove debris, then soak it in 6 cups of water for 4 hours. (see notes)
- After soaking is complete drain the dal and add it to your blender.
- Add the ¼ cup of water and blend on high for 2 minutes. (see notes)
- Remove the batter from the blender and put it in a mixing bowl, add the salt and baking soda and use a beater to whip it for 2 minutes. (see notes)
- Take a small glass of chilled water and add a teaspoon of the batter to it. If it floats on the surface you're ready to start frying.
- Preheat the cooking oil to 325℉ and then start adding the batter to it using an ice cream scoop.
- Fry at medium heat for 2 minutes on each side, until the fritters are golden in color. (see notes)
- Remove the bhallas onto a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
- Fill a 6 quart sized pot with water until it is ⅔ full. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and bring the water to a boil.
- Add 4-5 bhallas at a time and cook in the water for 2 minutes, until they soften. (see notes)
- Continue until all the bhallas have been boiled and set them aside to cool to room temperature.
The Yogurt
- Place the yogurt, milk, chaat masala and sugar in a bowl and whisk until you have a pouring consistency.
- Place the bhallas in an even layer in a shallow serving dish and pour the yogurt over them until completely covered.
The Toppings
- Sprinkle the chat masala evenly over the prepared dahi bhallas and follow with a drizzle of the chutney.
- If you're using the chili flakes, sprinkle them at the end and then serve.
Video
Notes
Cooking oil: Use a neutral cooking oil with a high smoking point. I use canola oil for most of my frying, but peanut and sunflower oil are also good options.
Chaat masala: A tangy, savory spice blend with a slightly funky smell due to the black salt in it. This is a popular South Asian seasoning used in street food snacks.
Tamarind chutney: I used homemade tamarind chutney for this recipe, but you can also use store-bought.
Soaking the lentils: The lentils soften and hydrate as they soak, ultimately resulting in soft dahi bhallas. Four hours is a minimum, but I often soak mine the night before for perfect results.
Blending the batter: The batter needs to have a smooth consistency, and after lots of recipe testing, I've determined that 2 minutes in the blender is an absolute must. Don't use too much water as the batter needs to be thick enough to shape into balls using a scoop. If your mixture seems too thick, add two tablespoons of water at a time and continue mixing until you have the desired consistency.
Whipping the batter: This step helps aerate the batter, making the dahi bhallas fluffy. You can use a stand mixer or a hand-held beater to whip for 2 minutes, until the batter doubles in size and has a light and airy texture.
Frying the bhallas: Preheat the oil well and then fry on medium heat to achieve a nice golden color on the outside and cooked-through bhallas on the inside.
Boiling the bhallas: This last step distinguishes my recipe from most traditional ones, where the bhallas are soaked in a water bowl. The boiling salted water truly softens the bhallas in a very short amount of time.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 434kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 15gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 237mgPotassium: 332mgFiber: 7gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 297IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 249mgIron: 3mg
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