If you’re told that the Chatpata ‘Dahivada’ can help you lose weight and can be healthy, then how would you react?
Surprising indeed!
The lip-smacking, quintessential, classic North Indian delicacy Dahi Vada or Dahi Bhalla as it is popularly known can be included in your weight loss regime, totally guilt-free. All you have to do is tweak the recipe and the cooking procedure. Let us see how.
Dahi vada is a snack item where deep-fried lentil dumplings served with a yogurt sauce. The elements which make it unhealthy are — being deep-fried, Added sugar in the yogurt/dahi& accompaniments, and the unhygienic way by which it’s usually made at the roadside eateries. So, to precisely give Dahi vada a healthy twist, firstly it should be home-cooked, the dumpling shouldn’t be deep-fried, the added sugar component should be suitably eliminated and some additional ingredients need to be included in the recipe to enrich its nutritional profile.
The dumplings or Vadas are usually made of urad dal or black gram lentil. Urad dal in itself is a good source of protein (23.06 gm/100 gm). It is also rich in calcium, magnesium, and B vitamins. Whole green moong/Sabut moong and oats can be used to substitute urad dal to improve the nutritional profile of Dahi vada. Both being high fiber ingredients (green moong: 17.04gm /100 gm& rolled oats: 10.5 gm/100 gm). certainly, improve the overall fiber content of the dumplings. High-fiber foods are beneficial for weight loss as they take time to digest, induce satiety and keep one full for a longer time. High-fiber foods also have the following advantages:
> Being rich in complex carbohydrates, blood glucose levels don’t spike instantly, Which helps in diabetes control
> Reduces food intake by controlling binge eating and food cravings
> Aids in managing heart health, blood pressure, and constipation
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Cereals are found to be rich in methionine amino acid and deficient in lysine amino acid while pulses are rich in lysine amino acid and deficient in methionine amino acid. The combination of Oats Recipe (cereals) along with moong and urad dals (pulses) also improves the overall protein profile of Dahi vada.
Oats and green moong dal Dahi vada recipe is one such recipe for people who craving to eat something healthy but yet nutritious. Dahi vada has a very distinct taste, unlike the normal Dahi vada that we have with urad dal.
Serve oats and green moong dal Dahi vada recipe as a starter or snack for any festive occasion like Holi or at a chaat party.
How to make oats and green moong dal Dahi vada recipe?
1. We begin making oats and green moong dal Dahi vada by soaking the black moong dal and urad dal in water for about 8 hours or overnight.
2. Once that done, grind both dals in the mixer to a smooth paste. You can add the roasted oats to the batter and leave it to rest till you make the Dahi mixture.
3. Mix the curd/Dahi and water in a bowl, add sugar and whisk it well to a smooth consistency, Leave it in the refrigerator.
4. Next to fry the vada, heat a pan, take out the batter add salt and baking soda to it and mix well.
5. Add oil and drop in a tablespoon of the Dahi vada batter in each of the holes and cover.
6. Let it cook for about 2 minutes and flip it over. Then Cook again for about two more minutes till it crisps up.
7. Once it is done, take them out and drop them in the Dahi mixture and refrigerate for about 20 minutes before serving.
To serve the oats recipe, add tamarind & dates Chutney, and dhania pudina chutney on top.
