Broken urad dal for dahi vada: soaking time for a light batter

My dahi vada come out dense rather than light, and I think the problem is upstream of the frying. I soak broken urad dal for about four hours, grind with very little water, then beat the batter by hand for a few minutes. It does not float when I drop a little into water. I am unsure whether to soak longer, grind finer, or simply beat far more air in. What soaking time and beating method give you a batter that reliably floats?

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