Dahi Baray – Lentil Fritters in Spiced Yoghurt

Dahi baray holds a special place on the Ramadan iftar table across Pakistan and India. The contrast of temperatures and textures — hot just-fried baray dunked into ice-cold yoghurt, crispy outside becoming soft after soaking — is one of the great textural experiences in South Asian food. They are also one of the trickier things to make well: the batter must be the right consistency, the oil must be at the right temperature, and the soaking time in yoghurt cannot be rushed.

The key to light, fluffy baray is beating air into the batter after grinding — a wooden spoon worked vigorously for 5 minutes creates a batter that produces baray that puff up and stay soft rather than dense and chewy.

Ingredients

Urad dal (split black lentil, skinned)250g

Ginger, small piece2cm

Green chillies2

Salt½ tsp

Oil for fryingfor deep frying

Cold full-fat yoghurt, whisked smooth500g

Sugar1 tsp

Salt (for yoghurt)½ tsp

Tamarind chutney, to serve6 tbsp

Chaat masala, to sprinkle2 tsp

Cumin powder, roasted1 tsp

Red chilli powder, to sprinkle½ tsp

Pomegranate seeds4 tbsp

Fresh coriander, choppedhandful

Method

Soak and grind the dal

Soak urad dal in cold water for minimum 4 hours. Drain. Blend with ginger, green chillies, and just enough water (2–3 tbsp) to make a smooth, thick batter. The batter should be very thick — it should hold its shape when dropped from a spoon.

Beat in the air

Transfer to a bowl. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes, or use an electric hand mixer for 2 minutes. The batter should become lighter in colour and slightly increased in volume. To test: drop a small piece into water — if it floats, the batter is airy enough. Add salt.

Fry the baray

Heat oil to 170°C (medium-high). Using wet hands or a spoon, drop golf ball-sized portions gently into the oil. Fry 4–5 at a time — don't crowd. Cook for 4–5 minutes, turning, until light golden (not dark brown). Remove and drain.

Soak in water first

Immediately drop hot baray into a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes. This is the crucial step — the water soak makes them light and spongy instead of oily. After soaking, gently squeeze each one between your palms to remove excess water (don't crush them).

Assemble

Whisk yoghurt with sugar and salt until very smooth. Arrange soaked baray in a deep dish. Pour cold yoghurt generously over them. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes minimum. Before serving, drizzle with tamarind chutney, sprinkle chaat masala, cumin, red chilli, pomegranate seeds, and fresh coriander.

💧 The Float Test

Before frying, drop a tiny piece of batter into the oil. If it rises to the surface immediately, the oil is ready. If it sinks and slowly rises, it's not hot enough. Too-cool oil makes baray oily and dense.

Dahi Baray — Fluffy Lentil Dumplings Drowned in Cold Yoghurt