Masala Mangodi is a recipe prepared by soaking any particularly dal in water for 6-8 hours and grinding it in to a paste after adding salt to taste and mix it with some spices. Make it in to small round shapes and let it dry under the sun for 2 days.
The most commonly used dal to make mangodi is the yellow moong dal. Finally the soft dal is crushed either manually or in a grinder machine without adding any water. You may add ginger and green chilli paste along with salt if desired. Any recipe which contains mangodi vadis, require the vadis to be cooked beforehand.
You can steam, bake or boil the mangodi vadis to turn them tender or soft. It is incredible how the humble Wadi or Mangodi as it is called in most states is everything from delicate culinary to a pantry essential, from a cultural expression to icon of domesticity.
In bania culture Wedding festivities often start with the ritual of ‘Mangodi Todna’, an eleborate ritual where both Bride to be and Groom to be along with other married women make mangodi.
The Mangodis are later send as a part of bridal trousseau. The idea behind the whole ritual is even if there is a scarcity of food due to natural calamity, the bride will be able to make meal for her family with the Mangodi.