Dahi Phulki is the Sindhi version of the dahi vada family: gram flour dumplings soaked soft and drowned in chilled yoghurt with tamarind and green chutney. The phulki are lighter and airier than the dense bhallas of Punjab — beaten to a looser batter so they puff dramatically when they hit the oil and collapse into soft, spongy balls when soaked. The spicing is distinctly Sindhi: asafoetida in the batter, a stronger hit of sourness in the tamarind water, and a heavy dusting of roasted cumin at the end. It is sold at street stalls and made in Sindhi households for Eid and festive occasions, assembled to order and eaten immediately.
Zone: Indus Plains
SOURCE: Sindhi family, Karachi, recipe shared in Sindhi Recipes Facebook group, 2021
LOCAL NAME: دہی پھلکی
INGREDIENTS
- 1½ cups besan (gram flour)
- ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing)
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp salt (for the batter)
- neutral oil for deep-frying
- 3 cups full-fat plain yoghurt (whisked smooth)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt (for the yoghurt)
- 4 tbsp tamarind chutney
- 4 tbsp green coriander-mint chutney
- roasted cumin powder (chaat masala, red chilli powder to dust)
- chopped coriander and pomegranate seeds to garnish
METHOD
- Whisk the besan with the asafoetida, cumin seeds and salt. Add water gradually, whisking hard, to form a smooth, thick but pourable batter. Beat for 3–4 minutes until the batter is light and airy — a dropped spoonful should float in a bowl of water.
- Heat oil to 160°C. Drop spoonfuls of batter into the oil — they should puff immediately. Fry until pale golden and cooked through, 3–4 minutes. Do not brown them.
- Transfer to a bowl of warm water. Soak for 10–15 minutes until soft and spongy. Gently press each phulki between your palms to squeeze out excess water.
- Whisk the yoghurt with the sugar and salt until completely smooth. Arrange the phulki in a single layer in a serving dish. Pour the yoghurt generously over them to completely cover.
- Drizzle with the tamarind and green chutneys. Dust with roasted cumin, chaat masala and red chilli. Scatter with coriander and pomegranate.
- Serve immediately. Dahi phulki does not wait — the phulki absorb the yoghurt within minutes.
NOTES
UK adaptation: Besan (gram flour) from any supermarket or South Asian grocer. Full-fat Greek yoghurt works well for the base. Tamarind chutney from South Asian grocers. Everything else widely available.
US adaptation: Besan from Patel Brothers or H-Mart. Whole-milk yogurt or Greek yogurt for the base. Tamarind chutney from Indian grocery stores. Everything else widely available.
Cook’s note: The batter must be beaten until a spoonful dropped into water floats — this aeration is what makes the phulki light and spongy rather than dense. Do not skip this test.
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