Bedai / Parathas stuffed with spicy Moong Dal

The Bedai / Bedei is a wonderfully spicy snack that can double up as a meal too.
Also known as Bedmi puris when made into puris and not parathas, these are great to
make during festival times like Diwali too.

A very popular street food in North India, the Bedei is a common Rajasthani meal too. While it is deep fried and served with a potato curry in the North, I have seen it made as parathas at my Rajasthani in-laws place.

It was in Rajasthan that I tasted the Bedei for the first time.
Kaki (aunt-in-law) makes them as parathas,
which are acceptable to me as they need much less oil to cook as compared to the
deep fried ones ...
which resemble the Moong Dal kachoris.
And she makes the stuffing from the Moong ka Mogar ... a stir fried moong dal dish that can be enjoyed as is with rotis too.
While the traditional Bedei has the lentil in the stuffing coarsely ground,
Kaki keeps them whole.

Needless to say, I follow her version.
These are great to carry on journeys like picnics or long drives.


For the Mogar

Need :

Yellow Moong dal - ½ a cup
Jeera / Cumin seeds - a pinch
Haldi / Turmeric powder - ½ teaspoon
Red chilli powder - to taste
Laung / Clove powder - ½ teaspoon ( can add more to make spicy )
Hing / Asafoetida - a pinch
Amchur / Dried Mango powder - 1 tsp
Dhania / Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste

How to :

Soak moong dal for around 1 hour.
Heat oil in a pan.
Add jeera and hing.
Add the soaked dal, haldi, mirchi and salt.
Keep stirring.
Add garam masala, laung powder and dhania powder.
Give a good stir.
Add a little water ... just enough to skim the surface.
Cover and let it cook till done.
Do remove the cover in between and check if all water has dried up. If needed add some more water ... but not too much.
When the dal is cooked ... it will easily break when pressed between two fingers ... removeand cool.



The dal should be completely dryish .... every grain seperate yet whole.
This can be eaten on the side with rotis too.

If you find the loose dal difficult to handle as a filling,
do not fret.
Just grind the soaked dal coarsely and
cook as above till dryish.

If you make and store this before hand, the parathas take no time to make.
And you have a meal in a jiffy!

For the parathas

Knead whole wheat flour with a little salt and a few teaspoonfuls of cooking oil and water.
Make a soft yet firm dough.

To make the Bedei

Make medium sized balls of the dough.
Shape into small bowls with your hand and spoon in some of the dal mixture.



Close the dough ball and flatten it gently with your hands.
Roll out round parathas, starting with the sealed side down, using dry flour to dust occassionaly.



Heat a tawa / skillet.
Put in the paratha. After a while flip to the other side.



When it starts to turn slightly dry,
apply oil, raise heat and cook ,
flipping occassionaly till both sides are browned well.



Serve hot, preferable off the skillet ... with dahi/curd and achar.

I enjoy it with the Onion chutney or the Tomato chutney too.



Enjoy this winter with these hot, spicy Bedei as breakfast,
evening snack with masala tea
or as a tv dinner !!

PS : I had been to Bhuj and the beautiful Rann of Kutch on a recent vacation. Have made the first post on the trip in my travelogue.

Other stuffed Parathas on Kichu Khon

Methi Paratha

Aloo Paratha

Paratha made from Leftovers

Egg Bhurji stuffed Paratha