Dahi Phulki

This dish looks a lot like dahi wada or dahi bara but it is different. Dahi phulki is not such a common dish unlike dahi wada which is made in almost all parts of India with some variations.

I had not heard about this dish until after marriage. I made it only once before this time following the recipe my husband shared. This Sunday I wanted to make it again for aftar and decided to check the internet for it, that is when I realized it is primarily a Pakistani dish and quite popular there. There is some Pakistani influence in my husband’s family that is why perhaps it is known there.

Now for the differences with dahi wada/bara, dahi phulki uses gram flour or moong dal flour whereas dahi wada/bara uses ground urad dal. Unlike dahi wada/bara dahi phulki is always tempered with mustard, curry leaves or even cumin seeds. However in some parts of India even dahi wada/bara is tempered. Dahi wada/bara is generally drizzled with meethi chutney, dahi phulki is not.

Let’s now go in for the recipe.

Ingredients

For the Phulki

2 cups besan,

1 ½ tsp soda-bi-carb,

Salt to taste,

¾ cup water,

Oil for deep frying

For the Dahi

¾ kg of curd,

2 tbsps sugar,

Salt to taste,

Red chilli powder to taste,

1 tbsp oil,

1 tsp mustard seeds,

8-10 curry leaves,

2 broken red chillies

For Serving

1 tsp roasted red chilli powder,

1 tsp roasted cumin powder

Method

Mix the curd with the sugar, salt, red chilli powder and about 2 cups of water. Keep aside.

Mix all the dahi phulki ingredients except the oil really well. Do not be tempted to add more water as the batter should be thick. Let it stand for at least 15 minutes.

Heat oil and when it is hot add a little of the batter into the hot oil using your fingers. The phulkis should be drop shaped. Repeat and drop in more phulkis. Fry till golden brown on a medium heat. Drain the phulkis and add it directly to the dahi mixture.

Let it soak for about an hour.

Heat a tbsp of oil and add the mustard seeds, once they pop add the chopped red chillies and curry leaves. Drizzle this over the dahi phulki.

Serve chilled or at room temperature sprinkled with the roasted chilli powder and cumin powder.