Dangar Pachadi | Roasted Urad Dal Flour Raita

Quick and easy raita with roasted urad dal flour, popularly known as dangar pachadi! A delicious side for rice dishes!

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• Raita varieties
• Quick raita
• Homemade urad dal flour
• Dietary specifications & serving suggestions
• How to make dangar pachadi
• Recipe Notes
• More yogurt-based recipes
• Dangar Pachadi | Roasted Urad Dal Flour Raita

Raita varieties

When we think about raita, the first thing that comes into our mind is the famous onion raita that we pair with biryani and pulao varieties. (PS – I don’t have that simple recipe yet on my blog. I will share it soon) But folks, there are so many raita varieties in Indian cuisine with different vegetables, including fresh and dried ones.

You can find amazing Indian raita varieties, including okra raita, eggplant raita, cilantro-yogurt raita, and many more on my blog archives. Do check it out.

Quick raita

In Tamil, we call raita, pachadi. Today’s recipe, the dangar pachadi, is a very popular recipe from the Tanjore region of Tamil Nadu. If the urad dal powder/flour (Ulutham maavu) is ready, you can prepare this raita within 10 minutes. Yes, it’s that simple. All you need to do is mix the urad dal flour and yogurt, add salt as required, and prepare the tempering. That’s it. 

I adapted this recipe from Meenakshi Ammal’s “Cook and See” book, the English version of “samaithu paar.” This book was part and parcel of marriage gifts, and all of us will have a copy of this book in our household. It’s like our cooking Bible. :-) 

Homemade urad dal flour

Dangar pachadi will be a staple in most households, especially after Deepavali and Janmashtami. We usually make roasted urad dal flour for all savory snacks, aka bakshanams like murukku, seedai, etc. And with the leftover flour, we make this dangar pachadi. 

Making this urad dal flour is not difficult. You need to roast the whole urad dal (whole urad is preferable) until it turns light brown – no need to roast till it attains that deep golden brown. Let it cool and grind it into powder. That’s it. Store it in an air-tight container and use it when required. I have stored this urad dal powder for two months.

PS: Homemade urad dal flour won’t be super fine like the store-bought one, and that’s perfectly fine. 

If using store-bought urad dal flour-

Ok, for this recipe, I would recommend a homemade one. But if you have a stash of store-bought flour, then slightly roast it for 30 seconds or so and let it cool a bit before adding yogurt. 

Dietary specifications & serving suggestions

It’s a nut-free vegetarian dish. Skip asafoetida or use gluten-free asafoetida for a gluten-free version. So far, I have tried only cashew yogurt as an alternative to dairy-based one. I am yet to explore other plant-based ones. You can use cashew or coconut-based yogurt for this raita and make it vegan. 

I grew up eating this dangar pachadi with vathal kuzhambu. I love it. It is one of the popular combos, but I love it with rice dishes, especially sambar, variety-rice recipes. 

As it’s easy to make, I always make it as required and when needed. I have never stored it for a long time. 

Now without any further ado, let me share how I made this pachadi.

How to make dangar pachadi

• In a bowl, take the urad dal flour.

• Add the yogurt, salt, and asafoetida.

• Mix well. Ensure there aren’t any lumps. 

• Now in a separate tadka/tempering pan, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chilies, and curry leaves. 

• As the mustard seeds start to splutter, add them to the urad dal mixture. Mix well and garnish with cilantro and serve. 

Recipe Notes

• Please check the blog post for making urad dal flour at home. If using store-bought flour, dry roast it for 30 seconds and cool before adding the yogurt.
• Adjust the salt and green chilies as per your preference. I used one green chili and one red chili (not a dried one) for this recipe. Adjust the chili measure according to the variety and as per your taste preference.
• Use plant-based yogurt for the vegan version and gluten-free asafoetida for the gluten-free version.

More yogurt-based recipes

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Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in 2016, but now, it is updated with new pics, Instant Pot method, and recipe cards.