Urad Badi

Vigna mungo (dried paste) · Badi · bori · vadi · vadiyoo · sun-dried lentil dumpling

A lentil made to survive the season it was ground in.

What it is

Badi are small hard dumplings of ground, seasoned, sun-dried lentil paste — usually urad, sometimes with gourd or spice worked through. Dry, they are rock hard and rattle. Fried and simmered, they soften to a spongy, deeply savoury nugget that tastes far stronger than the dal it came from.

Where it comes from

Made across northern and eastern India, and in Sindh, wherever there is a hot dry season and a surplus to preserve. They are household work: the paste is beaten light, dropped in rows on cloth on a roof, and dried over several days.

What it's called

Badi in Bihar and the eastern plain · bori in Bengal · vadi or vadiyoo further west and in Sindh · mangodi for the moong version. The technique is shared; the size and seasoning vary sharply.

In the kitchen

Fried in mustard oil until they darken and smell nutty, then dropped into a curry or kadhi to soften, or broken over a dry vegetable. The frying is what makes them; unfried badi stay chalky. They also carry a lot of salt, so season the dish after they go in.

What we know about the claims

Nothing beyond the protein and fibre of the lentil. Their real value is preservation — a season's dal kept without refrigeration and improved in the process.

Choosing and buying

Sold in packets in South Asian grocers, and the size varies enormously between regions, so check what a recipe expects. They keep for a year in a sealed jar. Discard any that smell musty rather than nutty.