Dahi for Chaat (Indian Yogurt Sauce)

Name: Dahi for Chaat (Indian Yogurt Sauce)
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt; 1/4 cup lemon juice; 2 tablespoon sugar; 1 teaspoon cumin powder; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

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Dahi with lemon juice and cumin to create a cool, sweet, and citrusy yogurt sauce to drizzle over chaats.

Dahi or Indian Yogurt Sauce for chaat with cumin powder sprinkled on top and a spoon scooping it out

Ingredients in this dahi that will elevate your chaats

The thing that separates a good chaat from a great one are the individual elements. A beginner mistake when making dahi based chaats like papdi chaat or dahi puri is that folks use plain yogurt. However, most street vendors and restaurants add spices and flavoring to their yogurt sauce to give it layers of flavor and complexity. Here are the ingredients added to the sauce for this dahi recipe and what they contribute to the final dish:

Cumin powder - Cumin powder adds a nutty and warm flavor that contrasts the cooling yogurt sauce. It is extra flavorful if you can freshly toast your whole cumin seeds and grind them into the dahi.
Lemon Juice - Lemon juice adds acidity that really creates a tangy and bright yogurt sauce. If you don't have lemons, limes work just great!
Sugar - Sugar adds a slight sweetness that counter balances the tartness of the yogurt and lemon juice. Adjust your sugar levels to accommodate for your sweetness preference.

What type of yogurt to use for chaat?

Plain full fat yogurt is great to use for dahi for chaat. This type of yogurt is smooth, creamy, and thin enough to pour. However, the recipe won't drastically change if you use non-fat yogurt or Greek yogurt. Keep in mind that Greek yogurt is much thicker than regular yogurt so you may need to add an additional tablespoon or two of water to loosen the sauce into a pourable consistency for your chaats. In addition, this recipe works just as well for vegan plain yogurts that use alternative milks like cashew or soy.

Chaat Recipes Using Dahi

This dahi sauce can be used almost for anything including as a dressing for salads, a drizzle to give brightness to grilled meats, or even as a dip for veggies. However, the recipe was developed with the intention of using it for chaats. Here are a crispy kale chaat recipes that I know you'll love that use this dahi.

Indian Curly Kale Chaat Appetizer — Crispy Kale Chaat

Plate of papdi chaat with hands grabbing papdi and papdi crackers in the upper left corner — Aloo Chana Papdi Chaat

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will this yogurt sauce last?

This yogurt sauce will last 5-6 days after making.

What are chaat recipes that use dahi?

Papdi chaat, dahi puri, and this crispy kale chaat all use dahi

What types of yogurt can I use for this dahi sauce?

Plain yogurt should be used for this recipe. You can opt to use full fat for a creamier yogurt or non-fat. In addition, alternate milk yogurts like cashew or soy plain yogurts work great for this recipe. Lastly, if using Greek yogurt, make sure to thin it out with a bit of water so the sauce can easily be drizzled over chaats.