DAHI BARAY

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups split black lentils (maash daal)
2 tsp. ginger paste
½ tsp. garlic paste
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin powder
2 tbsp. yoghurt
pinch of baking soda
¼ cup water (approx.)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Wash then soak the lentils overnight or for at least 6 hours. Rinse well and drain all the water. Add all the ingredients in a blender and blend until very smooth but of medium-thickness consistency. Do not use more water unless needed.
Turn the mixture out into a bowl and mix well with a whisk or spoon for at least 5 minutes. Good exercise for the arm but this results in light and fluffy barays. Cover and rest the mixture for 15 minutes. Whip it again for another minute then heat oil in a karai/pan.
Once the oil is hot, reduce it to medium and scoop a small ball from the mixture and drop it gently into the oil. Keep going until the pan is almost full. To help achieve good shapes, dip your fingertips in some water before scooping a ball from the batter and try to drop it into the oil as close to the oil surface as you can, but be careful not to get burnt!
Fry to a golden colour on medium to low heat, then drain excess oil and remove on kitchen towels. Frying them on high heat will result in hard centers that will remain uncooked.
Once all are done, take a bowl of warm water, add half a tsp of salt. Dip all the barays into the water and let them sit there for 2 minutes. This process helps prepare the barays so that they can later absorb the yoghurt that they will get dipped into. Also, this removes all the excess oil from them.
Remove one at a time and gently squeeze out the excess water between your two palms. Careful not to break them! Arrange them on your serving plate.
Whip 3 cups of yoghurt with 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp red chilli powder and half tsp cumin powder. If your yoghurt is very thick, lighten it a little by adding a bit of water or milk. Taste and adjust it to your liking.
Pour this yoghurt mixture on the dahi barays. Then drizzle sweet tamarind sauce and sprinkle some chilli powder or green chutney if you like it extra spicy, some cumin powder, chopped coriander and chat masala if you like. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20-30 minutes to allow the yoghurt to get absorbed into the barays.

From: Amnah Anwar