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Wadi Recipe: North Indian Sun-Dried Fermented Lentil Dumplings (Urad Dal Wari)

By Updated 2 min read

Wadi are the fermented, sun-dried lentil cakes that stock North Indian pantries from October through summer — spiced with cumin and coriander, shelf-stable for months, and rich in probiotic heritage. Here’s how to make them at home.

At a glance

Wadi (wari, bori) are small balls or cones of soaked, ground black gram (urad dal) paste, fermented for about 10 hours, spiced, shaped and sun-dried for 2–3 days until brittle. In a study the pH fell from 6.0 to 4.8 during fermentation and early drying. Fully dried wadi keep for months – waris stored 12 months in one study – and are always cooked, in curries and dal.

  • Balls or cones of fermented black gram (urad dal) paste, sun-dried until brittle.
  • Dough fermented about 10 hours, then dried about 60 hours in sun–shade cycles.
  • pH fell from 6.0 to 4.8 during fermentation and the first 36 hours of drying.
  • Fully dried waris kept 12 months at room temperature in a study.
  • Always cooked before eating, in curries, dals and vegetable dishes.

Ferment profile

Origin
Indian subcontinent (North India; bori in Bengal)
Fermentation
Lactic acid
Main microbes
Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts from the black gram (spontaneous)
Live cultures
No (cooked, baked or pasteurized)
Alcohol
None / trace

Wadi (also wari; bori in Bengal) are small, hollow, brittle balls or cones made from a thick paste of soaked and ground black gram (urad dal), fermented briefly, spiced and dried in the sun. They keep for months in a jar and are cooked in curries (wadi ki sabzi), dals and vegetable dishes, where they soften and soak up the sauce. Wadi are made across the Indian subcontinent (Roy et al., 2011), with the spicing changing from region to region.

How Wadi Are Made

A study from North Bengal followed the process closely (Roy et al., 2011):

  1. Black gram is soaked and ground into a thick dough, which is fermented for about 10 hours in a closed container.
  2. The dough is moulded into balls or cones.
  3. They’re dried for about 60 hours, in daily cycles of 8 hours in the sun (29–33°C) and 16 hours in the shade.

Over the 10-hour fermentation and the first 36 hours of drying, the pH fell from 6.0 to 4.8 and the moisture from about 62% to 34%; drying continues until the wadi are hard and brittle.

Is It Safe to Make at Home?

The same study tested what happens to food-poisoning bacteria in wadi dough. Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli weren’t found in the plain dough at any stage. Bacillus cereus did grow in the plain dough during fermentation and the first day of drying, but when the researchers added it deliberately, it fell below detection after 24 hours of drying (Roy et al., 2011). Wadi are always cooked before eating, and the main practical rules follow from this: keep the fermentation short and warm rather than long, dry the wadi thoroughly and quickly in good sun or a low oven, and store them only when they snap cleanly.

Properly dried, they keep a long time: in a Punjab study, waris made from black gram and potato kept for 12 months at room temperature with their nutrients intact (Kaur & Aggarwal, 2016).

How to Cook Wadi

  • Wadi ki sabzi: fry the dry wadi briefly in oil until lightly golden, set aside, cook an onion–tomato masala, add water and the wadi and simmer until soft (15–20 minutes), often with potatoes.
  • In dal or vegetables: drop a handful into simmering dal or a vegetable curry for the last 15–20 minutes.
  • Bengali bori: fried until crisp and added to vegetable dishes and thin, mustard-tempered gravies.

Other fermented black gram batters include South Indian idli and dosa; Gujarati dhokla uses chickpea flour.

Recipe: Urad Dal Wadi

Makes
About 300 g dried wadi
Hands-on
60 min
Fermentation
8–10 hours fermenting, then 2–3 days drying
Temperature
Warm room temperature (25–30°C) to ferment; strong sun or a 50–60°C oven to dry
Difficulty
Moderate

Equipment

  • Blender or wet grinder
  • Large bowl with a lid
  • Trays lined with baking paper or an oiled cloth
  • Sunny, dry spot or an oven

Ingredients

  • 300 g split skinned urad dal (soaked 6–8 hours)
  • 1 tsp salt (added after fermenting)
  • 1 tsp each cumin and crushed coriander seeds (plus black pepper or dried chilli to taste)
  • A pinch asafoetida (hing) (optional)

Method

  1. Drain the soaked dal and grind it with as little water as possible into a very thick paste that holds its shape. Beat it for a few minutes to lighten it.
  2. Cover and leave in a warm place for 8–10 hours, until slightly risen and faintly sour.
  3. Mix in the salt and spices.
  4. Drop small mounds (about a teaspoon each) onto the lined trays.
  5. Dry them in strong sun, bringing them in at night, for 2–3 days – or in an oven at 50–60°C with the door ajar – until they're hard right through and snap cleanly.
  6. Cool and store in an airtight jar. Discard any that turn soft, smell musty or show mould.
  7. Always cook wadi before eating: fry briefly, then simmer in a curry or dal for 15–20 minutes.

Frequently asked questions

What are wadi?

Small sun-dried balls or cones of fermented, spiced black gram (urad dal) paste, cooked in curries and dal in North India; bori in Bengal.

Are wadi fermented?

Yes, briefly: the ground dal paste is left for about 8–10 hours before shaping, and it sours slightly as it ferments and dries.

How long do wadi keep?

Months, if completely dry and stored airtight; in a study, black gram–potato waris kept 12 months at room temperature.

Can I dry wadi without sun?

Yes – in an oven at 50–60°C with the door slightly open, or a dehydrator, until they're hard right through.

Do I need to cook wadi?

Yes. Fry them briefly and simmer them in a curry, dal or vegetable dish until soft.

Sources

  1. Roy A, Moktan B, Sarkar PK (2011). Survival and growth of foodborne bacterial pathogens in fermenting dough of wadi, a legume-based indigenous food. J Food Sci Technol 48(4):506–509. Link
  2. Kaur S, Aggarwal P (2016). Development and quality characteristics of nutritionally enhanced potato legume based wari – an Indian traditional savoury. J Food Sci Technol 53(4):1899–1908. Link
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