Making Badi (Wadi) at home

Badi(Wadi)

Badi are dry preparation of urd dal along with vegetables / spices. They are made during summer or winter season when the sun shine is good and are preserved so that they can be made to vegetable for main course with rice / roti. http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/08/badi-ki-sabji.html . In Kumaon Badi are preferably made from Urd dal and Cucumber, whereas in Punjab Badi are made from Urd dal and lots of spices. Badi once made can be stored for as long as 1-2 years in a dry air tight container. The Badi available in the market are sometimes too spicy for one’s taste,  thus makes them at home as per your taste and combine the Kumaon and Punjabi Badi style to get your own composition like I do always.

Badi made at home are better because they are hygienically made and are cost effective also.

Preparation Time: 7 Hrs. (6 hr. soaking time included)

Making Time: 15 min. (Time taken for drying not included)
Servings: 40-50 badi (Wadi) 

Ingredients Required for making Badi:

• 250 gm. Dhuli Urd Dal (Split urd dal without black cover)

• 250 gm. Cucumber 

Cucumber

Direction For Making Badi:

• Wash urd dal till water comes out clean.

• Soak washed Urd dal in excess of water for at least 6 hrs.

• Wash and peel cucumber.

Peeled Cucumber

• Cut the cucumber to two halves lengthwise.

• Remove the soft part with seeds from cucumber and do not use it for making Badi.

Peeled Cucumber with center soft portion removed

• Grate the hard part of cucumber after removing the soft part.

• Squeeze water from the grated cucumber as much as possible and keep the juice of cucumber in a bowl.

Squeezed juices to be used for grinding the Dal

• Keep the grated and cucumber aside.

• Drain the water from soaked Urd dal.

• Discard the water.

• Grind the soaked urd dal in a grinder mixer to a thick fine paste.

Urd Dal paste

• If required add the juice squeezed from the grated cucumber while grinding the dal.

• Add the grated cucumber to the thick paste of Urd Dal and beat to a fluffy smooth uniform mixture.

Grated ,squeezed cucumber added to Dal paste

mixture of grated cucumber and dal paste beaten to creamy consistency

• Grease a plate and portion out small part of this mixture with the help of fingers and thumb in the form of a blob on the greased plate.

• Each portion should be at least 2 cm. away from each other.

Mixture of dal and cucumber blobs for badi

• Keep the plate with the Badi in open, under sun so that Badi dry fast.

• It will take 1-2 days for the Badi to dry in summers and 3-4 days in winters.

• Dried badi will be easily removed from the plate.

• Scrape them off the plate and turn them upside down and keep under the sun for drying for a day more.

• Badi should become dry form both sides before storing.

Cucumber badi dried and to be stored

Zucchini badi

• Store the dried Badi in a dry airtight container.

• Use them to make Badi ki Sabji as and when you want. Badi ki sabji is a good variation in diet from regular Dal.

Tips:

• Do not use the water in which dal is soaked else the Badi will get slight unpleasant odor.

• Do not throw away the juice squeezed from the grated cucumber; always use it for grinding the dal.

• If the juice is left even after grinding the dal then use it for making dough for chapatti.

• Each portion on the plate of the dal paste and cucumber should not be more than 2-3 cm big.

• Make sure Badi are dried from both sides properly else fungus will grow on badi.

• Do not add salt to the mixture from which badi are being made. Salt loses its water of crystallization thus causing the badi blob which has been portioned out to spread thin and badi will become thin and crumbly. Not good for making badi sabji.

Suggested Variations:

• Deep fry the Badi to golden brown color and sprinkle some salt,chili powder and amchur enjoy as snack.

• Badi can be made by filling the badi batter in a plastic bag and piping them on a greased 

Batter of badi being piped from plastic bag

•  Zucchini, Green pumpkin can be taken instead of Cucumber.

Zucchini

• Zucchini and Green pumpkin should not be peeled only soft seed part should be removed from them before grating.

Unpeeled Zucchini cut to half

Washed Zucchini with center soft portion removed

Zucchini and dal batter for badi

• Red pumpkin, bottle gourd if taken then they should be peeled before grating.

• Finely cut Palak, (Spinach), Methi leaves, Coriander leaves can be added to the Paste of Urd dal to get badi of different flavor and taste.

• Coarsely ground spices like cloves, cinnamon, red chilies can be added to the dal paste with vegetables individually to get badi with different spicy flavor.

• 2-3 cm. stick of cinnamon, 4-5 cloves, 10-12 black pepper and 5-6 red chilies can be ground together coarsely and added to the dal paste with vegetables before making badi.

• Spices can be added to the dal paste without any vegetables and made to Badi.