Badaga (Vengaya Vadagam) Dry Spiced Onion

         This is a unique ingredient added to UppuPorupu, Kootu, Sambhar, Rasam, and many more dishes to give additional flavour to the recipes. Usually grandmaa's prepare it grinding it in hand grinders(Ooralkal). It may take a longer time to complete the process. I have prepared using mixer grinder to save time.

Ingredients :

Small Onions - 1 Kg                                           Preparation Time : 5 - 7 Days
Garlic - 100 g                                                            
Ginger - 50 g
Cumin Seeds - 25 g
Black pepper - 15 g
Mustard seeds - 20 g
Urad Dal - 20 g
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 Tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 Tsp
Salt - 1/4 cup
Asafoetida powder- 1/2 Tsp
Castor Oil + Sesame Oil = 1/4 cup

Badaga( Dry Spiced Onions)

Step 1 :

           Clean the Small Onions, Ginger, Garlic well 

                            

And crush using Flour grinder or Mixer grinder. I used mixer to grind.Crush until all the three mixes well. If you use mixer grinder just beat it few seconds. Dont make it has a smooth paste and don't add water.Transfer it to a large bowl.

                           

                           

Step 2 :

           Crush Cumin Seeds(Seeragam) and Pepper slightly. Add it to the crushed onion.

Step 3 : 

           Fry Fenugreek seeds in a pan  and crush it slightly. Add it to the crushed onion.

Step 4 :

           Add Mustard seeds, Urad Dal, Turmeric and Salt to the crushed onions.

                           

Step 5 :

           Heat the Castor oil and Sesame oil. Add Asafoetida powder in it and add it to the crushed onion (step1).

Step 6 :

           Mix all the ingredients well and press the whole in the bowl for a while(1 hr). Then take large plates or drying sheets and transfer it to the drying sheet and spread it well. Let it dry for a day. 

                                                   

Then bring all, together from the drying sheet and make it has small balls i.e.Badaga. Continue until you finish making all Badaga balls. 

Dry the Badaga balls in the Sun for a week until it turns crispy

dry.

The color of the Badaga will change to dark shade, day by day it dries.

Keep turning or rotating it everyday until it dries well.

Once it dries well, just break one badaga ball to check if its dried well inside. Sometimes it may get well dried outside and you'll find moisture inside.

Tips :

          You can add more oil if its not sufficient.

          You can make Badaga to any size nor larger than a tennis ball. 

          Bigger size balls takes longer time to dry. 

          Add some oil if you are not able to make Badaga balls.

          It must get dried well so plan accordingly during good sunny days.

          Just break one Badaga to check if the inner part is dried well.

Thank You. See you in the next post.