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.

Idli (Steamed rice and pulse Puff)

Idli and Sambhar

These steamed puffs made from the fermented mixture of rice and urd dal are as wonderful to look at as they are to eat. Fluffy, light, and soft they melt in the mouth. When eaten with sambhar they make a full meal low on fat therefore best for cholesterol patients like me and all weight conscious people.

In almost whole of the southern part of India idli, dosa, Uttapa, Appam these are taken with sambhar and coconut chutney be it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack because they are delightful to the taste buds along with being healthy low on calorie and easy to make .

Those who are interested in amalgamating India in their kitchen should try it and enjoy the taste of authentic South Indian dish.

Preparation Time: 15 hrs. For making batter of idli.(Soaking, grinding, fermenting time included)

Cooking Time: 20- 30 min per batch

Servings: Makes 24-30 medium size idli

Ingredients Required for Making Idli:

• 250 gm. Par boiled rice

• 150 gm. Urd dal

• Water

• Directions for Making Batter for Idli:

• Wash rice and urd dal and soak them separately in plenty of water for at least 5-6 hrs.

• Drain the soaked water and grind dal and rice separately in a grinder – mixer.

Paste of Urd dal for Idli batter

Paste of Rice for Idli batter

•   If you have a grinding stone electrically operated or manually operated then dal and rice can be ground together.

• Water should be added while grinding.

• Take fine paste of dal and rice in a big container and mix them thoroughly.

Unfermented batter of Urd dal and rice paste mixture

• Cover the container and keep for 10- 12 hr. for fermenting.

Batter for Idli kept for fermentation

• After fermenting the batter will become slightly sour, light.

• Mix the batter nicely with a ladle.

• Take an idli stand, oil the hollows with oil and pour the batter in the hollows till their brim.

Idli batter in idli stand

Idli stand with idli batter for 12 idli

• Heat 250 ml. water in the container of the idli stand and when water is hot place the stand with batter in it and cover the container.

• Put the gas on high for 5 min. and then lower the flame.

• Cook for 20- 25 min. on low flame.

• Puffed idli should be ready.

• Check if the idli are cooked by poking a thin knitting needle in it or a knife in it. The needle /knife should come out dry.

• Allow the idli in the stand to cool for 5 min. then remove them from the stand using a knife or flat spoon.

Fluffy soft Idli

• Repeat the same with all the batter.

• Depending on the idli stand of yours you can make 12 or more idli at a time.

• Enjoy Idli with Sambhar (http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/05/sambhar-tur-dal-cooked-with-vegetables.html) and coconut chutney and of course with your family

Idli and Sambhar

Tips:

• Idli batter can be kept in fridge for 3-4 days at least.

• The amount of water you use for steaming idli should be enough to be just below the last idli base not touching it.

• If the knife or the needle you use for testing the idli come out with some sticky material cook the idlies on low flame for some more time.

• For a batch of 12 idli more than 30 min. are normally not required.

• Do not add too much water while grinding as the batter will become thin and idli will not come out soft and fluffy.

Suggested Variations:

• Instead rice ,idli rawa can be taken.

• Idli rawa should be soaked but not ground, only dal needs to be made to paste and added to soaked, drained idli rawa, and kept for fermentation for 10-12 hr.

Soaked Idli rawa

Paste of Urd dal for Idli batter

• The idli from idli rawa come out to be slightly grainy but very soft.

Idli from Idli rawa

• Those whom urd dal does not suit can take either 50:50 mixture of urd and moong dal or replace urd dal with moong dal.

• The batter with moong dal requires to be fermented for 4-5 hr. only.

• The taste of idli with moong dal is absolutely different than one with urd dal.

• Once you gain expertise in making idli then you can make stuffed idli by pouring some batter in the hollow then the filling of your choice and again some batter

• Left over idli can be fried and eaten with coriander mint chutney (http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/green-coriander-and-mint-chutney.html)

• The left over idli can be made to upama with vegetables.

• Hot idli taste fantastic with hot ghee and sugar.