White Urad Dal (Safed Urad Dal) is just split black gram with it’s covering removed. It is rich in vitamin B and is used widely in Indian cooking. There is hardly any Indian home that does not have a steel dabba full of white urad dal ready to be turned into a fragrant tadka dal for dinner. Let’s have a look at 5 different ways in which you can use white urad dal.
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1) Dahi Bhalla
White urad dal can be used to make soft, fluffy bhallas doused in buckets of whipped yogurt and chutneys. You can stuff the bhallas with whole black peppercorns and raisins. Make sure you soak the dal overnight and fry them on medium heat to produce the fluffiest bhallas you have ever tasted. Soak them in water for 15-20 minutes before transferring them in the curd mix. Add paapdis to your dish to make it more market style. Add juliennes of ginger and chopped coriander leaves. A generous sprinkle of bhuna jeera and chaat masala on top is a must.
Image Credit – www.pikturenama.com
2) Medu Vada
Think of crispy medu vadas dipped in sambar. Think of coconut chutney plonked on top of it. Salivating? Us too! Making medu vadas from scratch at home is extremely easy and not at all intimidating as they might look. Yes, the shapes might look like maps of different countries, but they taste just as good. Make sure the batter is not too thin or runny or else you won’t get that doughnut shape that is expected from a medu vada. Needless to say, soaking of the white split urad dal is crucial. At Mishry, we reviewed a medu vada maker which promises to make your job easier. But does it? Read our review to know more.
3) Dosa
Making a dosa at home requires great technique, a seasoned tawa, and wonderfully balanced ingredients. Urad dal, soaked overnight, turned into a paste and seasoned with salt. A key factor to make crisp, thin dosas at home is the consistency of the batter. The batter should be of pouring consistency, if it’s too thin the dosas will be difficult to spread evenly and might break or stick when you try to take them off the tawa. You can serve them with sambar, coconut chutney and a tomato-peanut chutney. If you love masala dosas, add a spicy aloo masala to your dosa before folding it.
4) Bedmi Puri
Sundays are made for lazing around and eating! Even if all days might feel like Sundays during the lockdown, a special place is reserved for Sunday-specific meals like rajma chawal, chole kulche or aloo puri to name a few. Bedmi puri is puri stuffed with an urad dal masala that lifts the flavor and takes the texture of the puri to another level. Serve with a spicy aloo ki sabzi, aam ka achaar, khatte pyaaz and a glass of lassi. All aboard the food coma train? Choo-Choo!
Image Credit – www.pikturenama.com
5) Dhaba Style Tadka Dal
A dhaba style dal remains unprecedented. A prepared bowl of white urad dal might look like your normal ghar wali peeli dal, but the taste makes such a huge difference that you would keep asking for more. Ghee smeared chapatis, your favorite pickle, a simple jeera aloo and a dhaba style dal with a ghee and lal mirch tadka sounds heavenly, doesn’t it?
Do you like cooking with white urad dal? If yes, which is your favorite way of cooking white urad dal at home? Let us know in the comment section.
About The Author
Nishtha Asrani Sethi, born and brought up in Delhi, is a content writer who has previously worked with NDTV and Resolver. Her roots are deep within the food industry, thanks to her family business and a keen interest in contemporary food products. Nishtha loves to serve her articles with a side of humor. Her Bachelor’s degree in Home Science comes in handy while researching the science behind the food. When she is not trying to win a battle of fries vs fruit with her daughter, she is busy experimenting with her huge joint family with crazy recipes.