This is a very traditional dish from Tamil Nadu. This dish is rich in proteins. My mom used to make this quite often but now with the time constraint, we hardly cook this. I come from a large family with lots of cousins.This was always made in a huge quantity when the whole lot of us were around.Lentil dumplings have to be steam cooked before adding it to the tamarind-coconut sauce. The simple spicy steamed lentil balls have a heavenly taste. We love it so much so that every time one of us will run to the kitchen and nick few balls to the terrace and gobble them before anyone can find it. We really enjoy irritating our grandmom during its cooking and she would chase us away till the entrance of the house. The people in the neighborhood would tease that her voice is heard even at the other end of the village. This dish always reminds me of my good old childhood days and is very close to my heart.
It is called as "Paruppu Urundai Kozhambhu" where the steam cooked lentil balls are added into the hot tamarind-coconut gravy and are allowed to cook in it. The lentil balls cook perfectly in the hot bubbling gravy within few minutes. The gravy taste great cos the juices gives it a deep aroma and flavour.Paruppu (in Tamil language) means lentil; Urundai (in Tamil language) means ball and Kuzhambhu (yet another tamil word) means gravy. This is a very special dish in my house and we crave for it often. This dish was passed on from my great grandmum to my grandmum then to my mom n now to ME.
This is my entry for Nags "Saas bahu aur sensex contest"
Ingredients
For the lentil balls:
- 1/2 cup toor dhal
- 1/2 cup channa dhal
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup grated coconut
- 3 tsp chilli powder
- 1tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tbs coriander powder
- 1" chopped ginger
- 10-12 curry leaves
- 2 tsp chopped corainder leaves
- Salt
For the Sauce:
- 1 lemon size tamarind extract
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp chilli powder
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup grated coconut
- 1tsp fennel seeds
- 2 tsp vadagam
- 5-6 curry leaves
- Soak the dhals in water for 3 hrs. Drain the water completely and grind them into a thick paste.
- Add the onions, garlic, coconut, chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, ginger, curry leaves, coriander leaves, salt.
- Mix them thoroughly and roll them into small balls. Steam cook them and keep aside.
- Grind the grated coconut and fennel seeds into a fine paste and keep aside.
- Heat oil in a kadai. Add the vadagam and cook for a min.
- Now add the onions and saute them for 2-3min.
- Add the tamarind extract and coconut paste. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder. Simmer the flame. Cook till the raw smell disappears.
- Add the curry leaves and bring the gravy to a boil.
- Gently add the steam cooked lentil balls in a single layer . Cook on a low flame with the lid on for about 5-10 min. Give it a gentle stir every 2 min and serve warm with hot rice.
Hi VIJ, Welcome to the blogging world. Nice blog you have here and thanks for stopping by mine. I have been meaning to make parupurundai kuzhambu for a while. Guess its time I tried it out :-)
This is another favourite with us. We call it undai sambhar.
Thanks for visiting my blog and those nice comments.
Hey! Thanks for visiting:) Glad you liked the cheedais! I was going to say what Aparna said! I make these without onions. Its a blessing when you do not have many veggies!
Wow, your Paruppu urundai kuzhambu is mouth-watering.. Thats my favorite too..
I think this is my first time here and you have lovely recipes.. I love your egg kheema curry too.. I'm going to try that today!
VIJ, thanks for stopping by my blog. This is a new recipe for me. The closet that we make to this recipe is garelu or vada pulusu. and the vada is made of moong dal.
That event where the colour is "green" is at Harini's (Sunshinemom) blog -TongueTicklers.
Btw, she has just left a comment here.:)
oooh i love urundai kuzhambu. My mom in law makes it real yum :) thanks for the lovely entry, and yes, you are one of the early birds :D
love this kozhumbu...but I never tried making ths, though I have tasted it..
I absolutely love paruppu urundai kuzhambu - yours looks awesome... My method is very similar too.
looks delecioussss
Viji, the pics looks awesome, am sure it tasted the same too.. keep up the good work.. looking forward to more of ur mouth watering recipes..yours, "B"
It must be so complex.. I've had lentil dumplings before but never in tamarind and coconut sauce. Sounds like a good combo.
@Rajee
Thanks for visiting my blog.I guess u can try it now n let me know how it tasted.
@Aparna
Yeah true its referred by diff. names. Its our family's fav too! ;-)N thanks a bunch for the info on the "green" event hosted by sunshinemom.
@Sunshinemom
Yeah true that makes cooking less time consuming!! do try this version too.
@Sujatha
Thanks for the lovely words. So how did the kheema curry taste??
@myspicykitchen
Thanks for visiting my blog. Do try this version too!
@Nags
Thanks
@Sowmya
I am sure you would love its taste. Do try mine version.
@Laavanya
Thanks
@Sagari
Thanks
@B
Oyee babe!! thanks for visiting the blog n for those kind words!!
@Jude
Thanks for visiting my blog. Well it isny that complicated. May be you can give it a shot!! n do tell me how it came out.
My grandmom used to make this kozhambu..ofcourse she had done lots of changes to it, glad to see a authentic version :)
gosh, all of sudden i am craving for this. gorgeous pic and lovely recipe.