Traditional home cooking often relies on simple ingredients to produce rich and comforting dishes, and urad dal badi holds a timeless place on everyday menus. When paired with everyday arhar dal and tempered with regional spices, this budget-friendly dish turns into a satisfying meal suitable for lunch or dinner.
Preparation and Cleaning
The cooking process begins with basic ingredient preparation. Measure out the urad dal badis, inspect them carefully, and rinse them thoroughly in clean water before setting them aside. Next, take approximately one cup of arhar dal and wash it repeatedly with clean water until the water runs clear. Having both the lentils and the sun-dried lentil dumplings properly cleaned ensures smooth and even cooking in the next step.
Pressure Cooking Lentils and Dumplings
Once washed, transfer the cleaned arhar dal and the urad dal badis together into a pressure cooker. Season the mixture by adding salt to taste along with turmeric powder and the necessary cooking ingredients. Fasten the lid securely and place the cooker on medium heat, allowing the mixture to cook for roughly 10 minutes. This gives ample time for the yellow lentils to soften completely while allowing the firm lentil badis to tenderize.
Tempering the Dish in a Kadai
While the cooked lentil mixture rests, prepare the aromatic tempering in a separate pan. Place a kadai over the stove and let it heat thoroughly before pouring in cooking oil. Once the oil reaches cooking temperature, add mustard seeds, freshly sliced green chilies, and curry leaves to create the tempering base. Fry these ingredients gently until the mustard seeds crackle and the fragrant aroma of seasoned spices fills the kitchen.
Final Simmer and Serving
As soon as the spices finish crackling, pour the boiled dal and badi mixture directly from the cooker into the kadai. Stir everything gently so the mustard, chili, and curry leaf seasoning distributes evenly throughout the lentils and badis. Allow the curry to simmer over low heat for about five minutes so the flavors fuse together completely. Once simmered, turn off the heat and serve the steaming hot curry alongside freshly made rotis or steamed rice.
