If you are looking for a simple yet delicious dish to spice up your regular meal, you might want to try Badi Chura. Badi Chura (Odia: ବଡ଼ି ଚୁରା) is a traditional Odia dish that is made with sun-dried lentil dumplings, onion, garlic, green chilli, and mustard oil. It is a savory side dish that adds crunch and flavor to your rice or pakhala (fermented rice).
Badi Chura is very easy to make at home. All you need are some badi (wadi), which are sun-dried lentil dumplings that can be made with different types of lentils such as black gram or green gram. You can either make them at home or buy them from the market. Badi is usually made in autumn and stored for the whole year.
To make Badi Chura, you need to shallow fry the badi in mustard oil until they are golden and crisp. Then you need to coarsely crush them with onion, garlic, green chilli, and salt in a blender or a mortar and pestle. You can also add some coriander leaves for extra freshness. Your Badi Chura is ready to serve!
Badi Chura is best enjoyed with pakhala, which is a refreshing rice dish that is popular in Odisha during summer. Pakhala is made by soaking cooked rice in water overnight or for a few hours and then adding curd, salt, and some tempering of cumin seeds and curry leaves. Pakhala helps to cool down the body and aid digestion.
You can also have Badi Chura with plain rice and ghee or as a snack by itself. It is a great way to use up leftover badi and add some variety to your meal. Badi Chura is a dish that showcases the simplicity and richness of Odia cuisine. It is a dish that can be enjoyed by anyone, anytime.
So next time you want to try something new and tasty, give Badi Chura a try. You will surely love this crunchy and flavorful Odia delicacy!
N.B.: All these images are taken by Sangram Keshari Senapati and you can get copyright-free Badi Chura images from his blog.
