History Of Pahadi Bada…
Many might argue that Kumaoni Bada Recipe is no different from medu vada or for saying any other vada recipe. And they are not totally wrong when comparing the two recipes, as the process of making is almost similar. For making medu vada we use skinless white urad dal whereas for pahadi bada we use split urad dal with half-black skin attached. Also, the medieval period saw an influx of high-caste migrants into the Himalayan foothills from Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Bengal and other parts of India. Each brought with them a treasure of food heritage from their native region. With time, all these distinctive food cultures blended with the local Kumaoni cuisine. Hence, you could find traces of other regional cuisines in Kumaoni Cuisine.
The Making Of Kumaoni Bada…
The urad dal bada is a quintessential part of Kumaoni ceremonious food. Whether it is our harvesting festival ‘Harela’, Hindu New Year ‘Sankranti’, the month of ‘Shradh’ or auspicious affair like welcoming newly born in the family, on each occasion dal bada (Vada) graces the festive food platter. The ladies of the house are responsible for making the bada and then offering the first five pieces of it to the deity of the family. For years, I have watched my mother, aunts, and great-grandmother grind dal for the vada in a hefty stone mortar and pestle. It was not the time when electric mixers were new to Indian kitchens. My great grandmother believed that grinding dal in a stone mortar adds to the taste of the vada. Traditionally, the soaked split urad dal is ground in a stone mortar and pestle to get the fine paste for the vada. Then whisked manually till it is light and airy, perfect to make vada. The same split urad dal is used to make – shahi urad dal or Sankranti special urad dal khichdi. A few years back only my mother started using a mixer for grinding vada dal. She is not happy about it but with passing age grinding dal manually is an uphill task. The taste of pahadi bada made with dal ground in a mixer whisked with hand blender could not be compared with the one laced with hours of hard work. Still, it is good to see the tradition of making dal bada on every important Kumaoni affair has not died yet.
More Kumaoni Recipes For You:
Kumaoni Aloo Ke Gutke Pahadi Kheera Raita Pahadi Gahat Dal Pahadi Lai Ki Sabzi For more such fun recipes in your life subscribe to our weekly newsletter or follow us on Instagram and Youtube for video recipes.
