Dahi Bada is the central character in a very interesting episode in my life. Right from childhood I have been very fond of Dahi Bada, Kadhi, Mugauchi i.e. pakodi based dishes. When I got engaged, my mother said: “You are going to a new place. Learn to make one or two good dishes so that you can prepare something if someone asks you to cook. So, my mother taught me to prepare my favourite dish, Dahi ki Gujiya, which is a delicacy that not everyone can make. I was very happy thinking that when I would go to my new home, I would make Dahi ki Gujiya and impress everyone.
Soon enough the great day, my wedding day, for which all these preparations were going on, dawned. After the jaimal everyone proceeded for dinner. As is the custom, a separate table was laid out for the bride, bridegroom and their close relatives. Just as we started eating, everyone asked me to give something to my husband. Ordinarily, a new bride offers sweets to her husband. I also picked up a rasgulla in a spoon and hesitantly took it towards my husband. I was perplexed when everyone started saying: “No, not rasgulla, give him Dahi Bada.” I could not understand why everyone wanted me to give him Dahi Bada and not rasgulla. I thought that perhaps like me, he was also fond of Dahi Bada. Anyway, I picked up a Dahi Bada and put it into my husband’s mouth. Everyone started laughing loudly. Someone said: “Devendra has been clean bowled today.” Another said: “Everyone meets his match one day.”
I could not understand what was going on. Just then my jethani whispered: “Your husband hates Dahi Bada and all pakodi based dishes. He never eats such things but he has been caught on the wrong foot today.” I smiled inwardly and resolved that one day I will make Devendra eat the Dahi Gujiya that my mother had taught me to make.
I made Dahi Gujiya for the first dinner that I hosted for our friends. When everyone praised it to the skies, Devendra also tasted it. From that day he, too, has become a fan of Dahi Gujiya. After all, it was my mother’s recipe.
Prep Time: 1 hr
Cooking Time: 30 min
Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
Serves: 6 persons
Ingredients for Gujiya:
1. Udad dal: 200gm
2. Curd: 500gm
3. Asafoetida:1/2tsp
4. Chilli powder: 1tsp
5. Roasted crushed cumin seeds: 1-2 tsp
6. Black salt powder: 1tsp
7. Sweet tamarind chutney: 4tbsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Oil for frying
For filling:
1. Raisins: 15-20
2. Almonds: 10-15 (chopped)
3. Chestnuts: 10(chopped)
4. Green chillies: 2(chopped)
5. Coriander leaves: (chopped)
6. Salt to taste
7. Chilli powder: one pinch
Method:
1. Wash the dal and soak it overnight. Drain the excess water from the dal and put it into the mixer. Make a thick paste without adding water in it. If you face any difficulty in making the paste, you can add some water say ¼ cup or 1 or 2 tablespoon.
2. Take out the dal paste in a bowl and beat it with your palm until it will become fully.
3. To check that batter is ready, take some water in a bowl and put a drop of batter in it. If this drop come up and floats on the top of water then the batter has been beaten properly. If the drop does not come up then the batter needs more beating.
4. Add hing (asafoetida) and salt in it. (Udad dal sometimes causes gas, hing helps to reduce it.)
5. Now the dal batter is ready for making gujiyas.
6. For the filling, chop the cashews, raisins, almonds, green chillies and coriander leaves. Add salt and a pinch of red chilli powder to the chopped ingredients. Keep aside.
7. Now start making gujiyas.
8. Spread a wet cloth on a flat plate or on a chakla and put dal batter of the size of a lemon on it. Wet you palm with water. Make a flat disc of 2.5 - 3 inches by your fingers.
9. Put the filling mixture on it and fold from one side by flipping the side of the cloth.
10. After flipping the cloth, apply some water on the cloth.
11. Now press gently at the edges of gujia, so that it won’t open at the time of frying.
12. Now slowly and gently remove one side of the cloth from the gujiya.
13. Wet your palm again and transfer the gujiya to your palm.
14. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan to the desired temperature.
15. If you want to check whether the oil is ready, put a tiny drop of udad dal in the oil. If it comes up immediately, then the oil is ready.
16. After the oil is ready, slowly slip a gujiya in the oil. Keep the flame on medium. Don’t touch the gujiya until it becomes a little golden from one side.
17. Now, you can turn the gujiya to the other side.
18. Put another gujiya in the oil.
19. Fry the gujiyas until they turn brown on both the sides.
20. After frying put all gujiyas on a tissue paper.
21. Take a deep vessel and pour lukewarm water in it along with some salt. Soak all the gujiyas in the water. In approximately 15-20 minutes the gujiyas would start floating. Now, take the gujiyas out of the water and gently press them with your palm to squeeze out excess water.
22. Hang the curd for some time in a strainer. Whisk the curd and add salt and a little sugar (optional) to it.
23. Dip each gujiya in the curd and place it on a serving plate. Put some more curd on top of it.
24. Spread sweet red tamarind chutney on top of the gujiyas and garnish with roasted cumin seeds powder, red chilli powder, black salt and chopped coriander.
25. Keep the gujiyas in a fridge to cool them because gujiyas always taste better when cold.
Nutritional facts:
Calories : 863 Kcal
Carbohydrates : 73.9 gm
Protein : 35.8 gm
Fat : 47.3 gm
Other : Fiber - 11.7gm
TIPS:
1. Make the batter fluffy otherwise your gujiya won’t come out soft.
2. Chop nuts in a small pieces otherwise the nuts would break the gujiyas.
3. While removing gujiyas from the cloth, always keep you palm wet otherwise the gujiya would stick to your palm. Wet palms help to slip the gujiya in the oil easily.
4. Put only 2-3 gujiyas in the oil at a time otherwise the gujiyas would stick together and break when you try to separate them. If gujiyas break the oil would be spoilt also oil will enter the gujiya.
5. For soaking the gujiya preferably take lukewarm water which would make the gujiya softer.
6. If you hang out the curd or strain it for some time before using it, the curd would come out really thick and creamy, which would give a smooth texture to the gujiya.
7. Always serve dahi gujiya cold. For cooling, either keep the gujiyas in the fridge or put ice cubes in the curd before pouring it on the gujiyas.