Dahi Baray Recipe (Pakistani)

Fluffy and soft Dahi Baray or Dahi bhalla chaat will surely melt in your mouth with the delectable flavor of creamy yogurt spiced with green and tamarind chutney. It’s a popular Pakistani and North Indian street food chaat recipe prepared with golden fried lentil fritters. Simple, authentic and easy going dahi bare that you would love to make at home.

Jump to:

• What is Dahi Baray?
• Ingredients
• How to Make Dahi Baray
• Step 1: Soak the Lentils
• Step 2: Prepare Lentil Paste (Baray Batter)
• Step 3: Deep Frying
• Step 4: Soak the Fried Baray
• Step 5: Prepare the Yogurt (dahi) for Baray
• Step 6: Assembling
• Step 7. Topping
• Store and Freeze
• Soft Dahi Bara Tips
• Variations
• Dahi Baray [Video]
• Q & A
• You Might Like This
• Dahi Baray Recipe (Pakistani)

What is Dahi Baray?

Dahi Bhalla Vs. Vada Vs. Dahi Bada

Dahi means yogurt and Baray are fried and soaked lentil dumplings. It’s a popular street food of Pakistan and India so people call it by different names. People from North Indian side call it Dahi Bhalla, South Indian recognize as Dahi Vada. Karachi and Mumbai people call it Dahi Baray or Dahi Bada.

When it comes to making dahi baray then soft bada/Bhalla (lentil dumpling) is the main job to accomplish. In this recipe, I will share the secrets of making soft and fluffy dahi baray that will simply melt in your mouth.

Dahi baray basically falls in the category of chaat like dahi Bhalla chaat or dahi vada chaat. The lentil ratio is paramount to make soft Baray or Bhalla. Here I used soaked moong and maash (urad) dal spiced up with spices and blend to make fine paste. Deep fried and soaked in water to make soft bara then dipped into creamy whisked yogurt. Topped with tamarind and green chutney and sprinkle a pinch of red chili and chaat masala. Believe me, it turned out so well and extremely soft, just melt out in my mouth.

Dahi Baray is one of the signature dish of Ramadan iftar and Eid. I personally make it in a bunch and freeze it to make quick dahi Bhalla chaat.

You can spiced it with savory or sweet flavor. Locally it's famous as meethay dahi baray or Mash ki dal ke dahi bara chaat. People used to make it with gram flour (besan) or lentils (dal).

Dahi baray recipe Pakistani only topped with chutney but if you are making north indian style then there is some additional toppings of sev, and papri so you can your own platter of dahi bhalla papri chaat by following the same recipe.

Ingredients

Lentils: Used moong and maash (urad) dal. Alternative of moong is chana dal. Moong dal create softest version compared to chana.

Yogurt: Use fresh and thick yogurt to make creamy style dahi baray.

Spices: Salt, red chili, and chaat masala.

Garlic and Green Chili: Used in lentil batter to spice and garlicky flavor.

Chutney: Used for topping.

How to Make Dahi Baray

Making dahi baray is the step by step process that may lead you to present soft and creamy dahi baray with balanced spices and appetizing serving. Let's start!

Step 1: Soak the Lentils

Yes, lentil soaking is one of the most important step to make soft dahi baray. Overnight soaking is good but 6 to 7 hours are recommended. If you forget to soak then at least soak it for 3 hours in hot water.

In a deep bowl, add ⅓ cup moong dal and ½ cup ural (mash) dal. Wash it and filled with water for 7 hours to get soaked.

Step 2: Prepare Lentil Paste (Baray Batter)

Drain the water from soaked dal and wash with tap water. Now add in a blender with ½ cup water. Spice up with salt, cumin, garlic cloves and green chilies.

Give it a good blend.

Now add a pinch of baking soda (soda bicarbonate) and blend again.

Step 3: Deep Frying

Preheat the oil in a wok. Filled the batter in deep spoon and pour in oil with static hand. Keep the temperature high while pouring. Once the Bhalla starts to cook it will leave the bottom and start to float on the surface of oil. Turn the temperature to medium heat to cook from inside. Take it out as it turned to golden brown color.

Step 4: Soak the Fried Baray

Fill the bowl with luke warm water and dip the fried baray in it. Soak for ½ an hour. Don’t soak for long time. Once the baray become soft then gently squeeze with hand and take it out to dip in yogurt sauce.

Step 5: Prepare the Yogurt (dahi) for Baray

In a bowl, add yogurt, salt, red chili powder, chaat masala. Whisk well to make a thick paste. Add milk and water to manage yogurt consistency. Note the yogurt consistency at 03:11 (Video).

Step 6: Assembling

Set the Bhalla in presenting dish. Sprinkle chaat masala at the top layer of bhallas. Evenly pour the yogurt.

Step 7. Topping

I always feel excited to go for this step as it's make the chaat more tempting and scrumptious. Here are recipes of my toppings to follow.

Store and Freeze

You can store the dahi Baray in 3 ways:

Store Dahi Bara Batter: Yes, you can store the dahi Bara batter in refrigerator for 12 hours. Don’t store for long time otherwise it will loose the puffiness. Always give a good mix before frying the Bhalla.

Store Baray (lentil fritters): You can store soaked baray in refrigerator for 3 days. Make sure, it’s soaked after frying and squeezed well before placing it the in refrigerator.

When you need it, simply spray with water and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. Otherwise, keep it on room temperature.

Leftover: Yes, you can store the leftover dahi baray in refrigerator for 2 to 3 days in air tight container. If the yogurt is soaked after 3 days, add fresh yogurt spiced up with chaat masala, salt and sprinkle of red chili.

Frozen Instructions

Avoid to freeze dahi Bara batter as it will lose the consistency and ability of water retention. As you make batter, try to fry it to get puffy baray. Frozen batter looses the puffines and will be flat after frying.

Freeze the fried baray/Bhalla: From a very long time, I am using frozen dahi baray that I make at home and it’s very effective to make quick dahi Bhalla chaat with evening tea.

Place all the baray (Fried+Soaked+Squeezed) in a big tray with some distance. You can use wax paper to avoid sticking at bottom. Keep it in freezer for 1 hour to get hard. Once it’s hard, take out tray and store the Bhalla in air tight bag or container.

Freezer life of baray is 2 months. Don’t store longer as it’s free from preservatives.

Soft Dahi Bara Tips

1. To make soft dahi baray the imperative is to focus on the ratio of lentils.  
2. Properly soak the daal. Maximum soaking time: 7 to 8 hours. Minimum: 3 to 4 hours.
3. Don't avoid moong daal, it will help to make the soft baray also will not be heavy for the stomach after eating.
4. The addition of Baking soda in baray mixture is compulsory otherwise it will get hard during frying and will not rise like a sponge.
5. Don’t exceed the quantity of baking soda otherwise the baray will be mushy or mixed with yogurt.
6. Monitor the consistency of baray before frying. It should be semi-thick and runny but should not thin.
7. Always add baray for frying at high temperature otherwise it will stick on pan and deform the shape.
8. Use a scoopy spoon to place baray for frying. It will help to maintain street style Baray shape.
9. Baray batter is sticky so always use right pan for frying. I used nonstick wok.
10. Don’t flip or turn the Baray until it gets hard. As the Bade will cook from bottom, it will float on oil then you can flip the side.
11. Initially place baray on high heat then turn it to medium to fry from inside.
12. As the bada start getting hard while frying then turn the temperature to medium to get fry from inside.
13. Soaking bade in lukewarm water is important to it make soft and juicy.
14. Never leave the bada in water for long time. As it get soft, squeeze water and take it out and place in dish to pour the yogurt.
15. Use thick yogurt to drench baray.
16. Tamarind and green chutney will work as a taste enhancer for your dahi baray chaat.

Variations

Street style dahi bada chaat contains so many other spices and ingredients that make it super scrumptious. For me, the original dahi baray with a sprinkle of chaat masala is enough but you can make it more tempting by making few additions.

• Boiled Chickpeas (chole)
• Cubes of boiled potatoes
• Finely sliced onions
• Freshly Chopped cilantro (green coriander)
• Green chilies (chopped)
• Papri
• Chutney

Dahi Baray [Video]

Q & A

You Might Like This

It's a simple recipe of dahi baray inspired with Pakistani street style. You can easily try this at home and I am sure your dahi baray will be as soft and scrumptious as mine. If you are uncertain at any step to follow the written recipe then please watch recipe video to quickly follow the steps. I am so overwhelmed if you share your experience to make dahi baray or share recipe with hashtag #hinzcooking

Note: This recipe modified on 15 December 2022 with more information and quality pictures to enhance reader experience.