Sindhi vadiyoo are sun-dried lentil dumplings: raw urad or moong dal seasoned with asafoetida and cumin, ground to a paste, shaped into small rounds and dried in the sun for several days until hard as stones. When rehydrated and cooked in a tamarind-soured curry, they swell and release a depth of flavour that fresh lentils cannot produce — the fermentation that happens in the drying is the point, the days of sun having concentrated and transformed the legume. The practice of sun-drying is the Sindhi larder tradition at its most honest: a way of preserving the summer harvest so that the flavour of sun and air survives into winter. Zone 4 (Gangetic Heartland) has its own bori; this is the Sindhi parallel — the same logic, different lentil, different result.
INGREDIENTS
- 150 g Sindhi vadiyoo or moong/urad wadi (broken into rough pieces if very large)
- 2 medium onions (finely sliced)
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing)
- 2 medium tomatoes (chopped)
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1½ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp neutral oil
- 300 ml water
- 2 green chillies (slit)
- chopped coriander to finish
METHOD
- Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the vadiyoo pieces and fry, stirring, until they turn golden and slightly puffed, 3–4 minutes. Lift out and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the remaining 2 tbsp oil. Add the asafoetida and sizzle 10 seconds. Add the onions and fry until deep golden, 10 minutes.
- Add the ginger and garlic pastes; cook 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, turmeric, red chilli, coriander, cumin and salt. Cook until the tomatoes break down and the oil separates.
- Add the tamarind paste, water and fried vadiyoo. Stir well.
- Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low heat for 20–25 minutes until the vadiyoo are soft, swollen and deeply flavoured. Add the slit green chillies in the final 5 minutes. The gravy should be medium-thick.
- Adjust salt and sourness. Scatter with coriander and serve over steamed rice.
