Naiyer Style Dahi Bade(dumplings in yogurt sauce)

This recipe is very special to me.  Last week I lost a friend who cooked this dish and invited me every time to share it with her.  My friend was in a wheel chair but she was full of life and love for everyone who met her even once. She was a great cook and a big connoisseur of good food.  This is my tribute to her culinary skills by sharing the recipe with the world.

Ingredients:

For dumplings(Pakoras):

Chick pea flour(Besan) ½ cup, potato 1 small, onion 1 small, salt ¼ tsp, ½ tsp coriander powder, caraway seeds(ajwain) ¼ tsp, water, cooking oil 4 tbsp.

Method:

Peel off and chop potato and onion finely.

Sieve chick pea flour in a bowl, add chopped potato and onion, salt, coriander powder, caraway seeds and mix enough water to make it a thick batter. Mix it very well.  Keep aside for 10 minutes.

Heat cooking oil in a pan and drop a spoonful of batter into it and deep fry.  When the dumplings turn golden yellow from both the sides, take them out of oil and put them on a paper towel so that  excess oil is absorbed..

Ingredients:

For yogurt sauce:

Plain yogurt 2 ½ cups, black salt ½ tsp, roasted cumin seeds powder ½ tsp, coriander powder ¼ tsp, cumin seeds 1 tsp, brown mustard seeds (rai) 1 tsp, 2 dry whole red chilies, cooking oil 1 ½ tsp, 1 pinch of paprika or Kashmiri mirch.

Method:

Take 1 ½ cup of yogurt and cream it well with a whisk or fork.  Add black salt, roasted cumin powder, coriander powder and mix it well.

Now add already fried dumplings(pakoras) to the yogurt mixture.

Whisk one cup of yogurt in a small bowl and keep it aside.

Before eating or serving, heat cooking oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and mustard seeds, and red chillies.  When they stop spluttering, turn off the flame and add one cup yogurt to the hot oil mixture.  Pour this on the top of dumplings and yogurt mix.

Sprinkle paprika on the top for decoration.

Enjoy and serve as a starter or as a side dish.