Amritsari Wadiyan Curry

During the Pongal holidays, we had been to Chandigarh, Dalhousie and Amritsar. A trip to Amritsar wouldn’t be complete without visiting the ever serene Golden temple and some shopping around the temple complex. Though we had been here before, we had somehow missed buying these wadiyans last time. So, this time I was determined to buy these without fail. Wadiyans are nothing but dumplings made

with urad dal and then sun-dried and stored.

Basically soak urad dal and then grind it into a coarse mixture. Allow to rest for few hours or overnight. Add spices like red chili powder, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, black pepper and salt. Mix well and shape it roughly using hands and sun dry it till they are fully dry and crisp. Store it in airtight containers and use it in gravies along with potatoes or other veggies. Here is a simple recipe of making these wadiyans along with some potatoes in a spicy tomato based gravy. Please do try it and share your feedback.

Ingredients:

• Amritsari wadiyan 5-6
• Salt to taste
• Potatoes 2-3
• Onion 1 big
• Tomatoes 2
• Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
• Red chili powder 1.5 tsp
• Coriander powder 3 tsp
• Ginger 1 inch piece
• Garlic 4-5 cloves
• Refined oil 2-3 tbsp
• Ghee 2 tsp
• Coriander leaves handful

Method:

• Break the wadiyans into two if they are too big.

• Add a tablespoon of oil in a pan and roast them till they are golden in colour. Remove from the pan and keep it aside.

• Boil the potatoes till they are almost done but not mushy. Peel and cut into big chunks.
• Chop the onion and tomatoes.
• Grind the ginger and garlic into a smooth paste.
• Blend the tomatoes into a smooth puree.
• Heat two teaspoons of oil in a pan and saute the potato pieces till they golden in colour. Remove and keep aside.

• Heat around 1-2 tablespoon of oil in a heavy kadhai and add the cumin seeds.
• When they splutter, add the onion and fry till they are nicely golden in colour. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook.

• Add the tomato puree and mix well. Cook till the oil separates on top.

• Now add the dry spice powders and cook for 2-3 minutes.

• Now add the fried potato pieces and the fried wadiyan and mix well.

• Add some water, cover and cook for 5-10 minutes.

• Garnish with ghee and finely chopped coriander leaves.

• Serve it hot with rotis or parathas.