on Jun 14, 2024, Updated Jun 27, 2024 Try a few more pulao recipes that are perfect for your weeknight dinner: Chicken Pulao, Veg Pulao, Mumbai-Style Tawa Pulao, Gucchi Pulao, Achari Chana Pulao, and Brown Rice Pulao. My mom’s kitchen always has wadi and mungodi; she frequently uses these ingredients to make curries and pulaos. I learned this simple pulao recipe from her, and now I make it often, too.
About Wadi Chawal
Wadi Chawal (Wadi Pulao) is a delicious combination of rice, onions, spicy urad dal wadi, and spices. It is quite popular and is prepared very often in Punjabi households. Wadiyan Wale Chawal are healthy, super easy, and comes together in under 40 minutes. This rice dish is best served with raita on the side or Punjabi curries such as Rajma Masala, Chole Masala, etc. Serve it for your weekday meals, pack it in a lunch box, or as a side dish with your festive or special meals.
What Is Punjabi Wadi?
Punjabi Wadi (Plural – Wadiyan) are mildly spiced, deliciously flavored sun-dried dumplings made from lentils. The lentils are ground to a fine paste and mixed with spices. The paste is then shaped into small rounds and dried in the sun. Wadi has a taste and texture similar to meat or soya chunks, so if you want a replacement for meat or soya chunks, these are a good option. Wadiyan can be made using various lentils, urad dal and moong dal being the most popular. Store them in airtight containers for up to a year in a cool and dry place. Wadis are often fried slightly before adding to sabzi (stir fry), curry, or pulao recipes. This gives the dish extra flavor and texture. Whole Spices – This pulao is flavored with whole spices such as bay leaf, cinnamon, and green cardamom. You can add a few cloves and black cardamom for an added flavor. Wadi – I have used spicy urad dal wadi (wadiyan), but you can use any variety of wadi that is easily available. Others – Oil, ghee, onion, green chilies, salt, garam masala, and lime juice are a few other ingredients used in the pulao. Avoid adding onions for a Jain version. To make it vegan, replace ghee with oil. Once the oil is hot, fry the wadi until they are browned. Drain and keep aside. Once the ghee is hot, add 2 bay leaves, 1-inch piece of cinnamon, and 2-3 green cardamoms, and fry for 3-4 seconds.
2 green chilies, slit into half 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon garam masala 2 teaspoon lime juice fried wadi 4 cups of water
Stir gently. Cover the pan with a lid and cook until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked (20-25 minutes). Fluff the rice with a fork. Serve hot.
Turmeric Rice (Indian Yellow Rice)
Bagara Rice (Hyderabadi Bagara Khana, Bagara Chawal)
Black Pepper Rice (Milagu Sadam)
Ghee Rice (Nei Choru, Neychoru)
