Wadi or Wadiyan are a specialty of Punjabi Cuisine . These are sun dried lentil dumplings. The Wadi is a summer essential and is made in most northern states as well as Southern states. The Wadis are also called Wadiyan , Vadiyal, Vadiyalu.

Amritsari Wadi ki Biryani
Ingredients
Rice
1 cup rice
1 tbsp ghee
1-2 bay leaves
1 big cardamom
2 small cardamom
1″stick cinnamon
2-3 cloves
Wadi Masala
2 onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2-3 Amritsari vadi , slightly crushed
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp chilly powder
2 large tomatoes , puréed
1/2 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
Garnish Masala
1 boiled potato , cut into chunks
1/4 cup fresh green peas , boiled
1 tomato , cut into chunks
2-3 green chilly , slit into two
1 tbsp ghee
1/4 tsp red chilly powder
1/8 tsp garam masala
Pinch turmeric powder
1/8 tsp dry mango powder
Salt to taste
Method
Biryani
Heat 2 tbsp oil .
Add chopped onions and sauté till pink .
Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for another minute.
Add the crushed vadi and roast them with onions .
After they are roasted which should take about 3-4 minutes , add red chilly powder , pinch salt.
Add 3/4 cup water and pressure cook the vadis for 5-6 whistles.
While the vadis are being cooked heat ghee in another pan .
Add all whole spices and the washed and soaked rice .
Roast the rice and keep aside.
By now the vadis would have cooked , open the pressure cooker and check the vadis .
If not done add some water and pressure cook again .
If done then make sure all the water has been absorbed , if not then place the cooker on full flame and let the water dry up .
Add tomato purée and rest of the spices .
Let cook till the moisture from the tomato is gone .
Add 2 cups water and the roasted rice to the vadi mixture.
Cook the rice on full flame till 80% cooked.
Simmer the gas and cover the pan to finish cooking .
Garnish
Heat ghee .
Add all dry spices and roast.
Add boiled potatoes, tomatoes , peas and green chilly .
Toss well and keep aside.
To Serve
Fluff up the rice with a fork .
Plate them in a serving bowl or a serving plate.
Top with the prepared roasted potato garnish .
Serve with mint raita , papad and pickle .
Amritsari Vadi ki Biryani
Ingredients
Rice
- 1 cup rice
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1 big cardamom
- 2 small cardamom
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 2-3 cloves
Vadi Masala
- 2 onions finely chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 2-3 amritsari vadi slightly crushed
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp chilly powder
- 2 large tomatoes puréed
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- Salt to taste
Garnish Masala
- 1 boiled potato cut into chunks
- 1/4 cup fresh green peas boiled
- 1 tomato cut into chunks
- 2-3 green chilly slit into two
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1/4 tsp red chilly powder
- 1/8 tsp garam masala
- Pinch turmeric powder
- 1/8 tsp dry mango powder
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Biryani
- Heat 2 tbsp oil .
- Add chopped onions and sauté till pink .
- Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for another minute.
- Add the crushed vadi and roast them with onions .
- After they are roasted which should take about 3-4 minutes , add red chilly powder , pinch salt.
- Add 3/4 cup water and pressure cook the vadis for 5-6 whistles.
- While the vadis are being cooked heat ghee in another pan .
- Add all whole spices and the washed and soaked rice .
- Roast the rice and keep aside.
- By now the vadis would have cooked , open the pressure cooker and check the vadis .
- If not done add some water and pressure cook again .
- If done then make sure all the water has been absorbed , if not then place the cooker on full flame and let the water dry up .
- Add tomato purée and rest of the spices .
- Let cook till the moisture from the tomato is gone .
- Add 2 cups water and the roasted rice to the vadi mixture.
- Cook the rice on full flame till 80% cooked.
- Simmer the gas and cover the pan to finish cooking .
Garnish
- Heat ghee .
- Add all dry spices and roast.
- Add boiled potatoes, tomatoes , peas and green chilly .
- Toss well and keep aside.
To serve
- Fluff up the rice with a fork .
- Plate them in a serving bowl or a serving plate.
- Top with the prepared roasted potato garnish .
- Serve with mint raita , papad and pickle .
Notes



Wadi looks totally new to mew.. Have never tasted this biryani so far.. Must be really delicious.. Even the pics tempt me a lot!!
We do a similar version of called vadagam using urad dal but with lots of onions and use it in gravies. This version of making biryani sounds fabulous.
You are making me hungry. I agree with Gayathri, we make similar wadis but all goes into kuzhambu/sambar. Using them in biryani sounds awesome. Love all the clicks and great set up.
I always keep s box of amritsari wadi in my pantry as we totally love it. The biryani look superb and I am loving your setup. Such a wonderful presentation.
Such a different and flavorful biriyani vaishali. Wadi in a biriyani is completely new for me. Pictures and presentation is also very beautiful
Can smell the flavor of this Wadi ki biryani rite from my lappy screen, and wadi in briyani is quite a interesting one. Different one pot meal.
Amma makes one such wadi using urad dhal that is added to sambar instead of veggies. This briyani is a flavorful one for sure and nutritious too!
I still remember the taste of the wadi you had given me. They are awesome. As for the biryani I am going crazy just looking at it. Delicious n yummy. The pic are awesome
The beautiful explanation that is provided brings in those wadis and dumpling biryani live before me. Awesome!
I”m a huge fan of vadis. We usually make them with chora dal. The vadis are then made with onion into a delicious sabji. I’m surely bookmarking this biryani, its so flavorful and yummy looking. And will have to make some vadis soon 🙂
i bought two packets of wadis from Punjab last year, and I think I might just use them up ! what a flavoursome biryani this is 🙂 niece to know ur family waits till u take such tempting clicks, mine will be all over the place by now
Simply awesome Vaishali!..what a feast..I am so enjoying all your biryanis!..wish you had this for the whole month!
Biriyani with wadi sounds so interesting and innovative.Very nice set up and the biriyani makes me drool.
loved the whole set-up of the biriyani. Salad, raitha, pickle, papd. Wow a whole meal…