Nuchinunde/ Steamed Dal Dumplings

      

Hey folks, I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial day weekend!!!

Last couple of weeks have been busy for me.... Doing what, you ask?? Well, nothing much!! I mean... I don't know! I got busy on the phone with friends, I shopped (not just window shopping.... I bought some stuff too!! :-)...), did some sightseeing (or "time pass", as Naveen calls it) with friends!!!

And now, I'm finally  back to my kitchen and to Mane Adige! Nuchinunde is a traditional dish mostly relished in Mysore/Bangalore/Shimoga  regions of Karnataka. Nuchinunde is usually made with toor daal. However, you could even add some chana dal for some variation in taste. Traditionally, nuchinunde is served with majjige huli (will post the recipe for majjige huli soon).... But it tastes pretty good with coconut chutney as well!!

Ingredients:

1 cup Toor dal (soaked in water for about 3-4 hours)

1/2 cup Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

2-3 Green chilies, low to medium spiced OR 1/2 tsp Red chili powder

1/4 tsp Hing

1/2 tsp Jeera powder

1" Ginger, chopped finely

2-3 strands Cilantro, chopped finely

1 strand Curry leaves, chopped finely

Method:

1. Drain out all the water from the soaked dal and grind coarsely along with coconut, green chilies, jeera and curry leaves; DO NOT add any water while grinding and also, make sure NOT to grind the dal too smooth.
2. Add hing, salt, chopped cilantro and mix well. You could even add 1/2 tsp sugar for a tinge of sweetness!
3. Make ping pong sized dumplings with the dal mixture; Place in a steel container and steam cook the dumplings for about 12-15 minutes (I use the pressure cooker for this purpose; Don't forget to remove the weight!!)
4. Serve hot with majjige huli or coconut chutney or any other side dish of your choice.

 

Variations:

1. You could try adding some chopped pudina/mint for a change in flavor. Though I couldn't try it myself, I have a strong feeling that it would taste great!! :P
2. Instead of a whole cup of toor dal, you could use 3/4 cup of toor dal and 1/4 cup of chana dal. That would give a slightly different taste!!
3. I think, adding finely chopped onions would be great too.... You could try that! :)

Kai/Kayi Huli (Veggies in Coconut-Chili gravy)

What good is a mangalorean meal without different varieties of coconut based gravies?!?!!! A traditional festive meal in Mangalore usually starts with a coconut based gravy called Thambuli or Thambli, followed by Rasam, couple of varieties of Sambhar/Huli , Menaskai or Gojju, Majjige Huli or Kayi Huli - most of which are again coconut based....and ends with the humble curd rice and pickle. Not to forget the 4-5 varieties of sweets 'n desserts and also some yummy fritters!!!! I have for you the recipe of Mangalorean Kayi Huli today. Kayi, means 'coconut' and huli means 'tamarind' in Kannada. As the name suggests, it is a coconut based gravy, spiced mildly with green chilies. I have used green beans in my recipe this time. However, you could also use tindora/thondekai, potatoes, cucumbers, spinach and many other veggies. Here is the recipe.... Enjoi!

Note: Jeera is NOT usually used in the traditional version of Kayi huli, but Naveen and I relish the mild flavor of jeera... So, I went ahead and added it. It tasted pretty good!!

Ingredients:

2 cups, Green Beans - chopped to pieces of 1 inch length

2 tbsp Grated Coconut - Fresh/Frozen

2-3 Green chilies - low to medium spiced

1-2 tsp Jeera (optional)

1/4 tsp Tamarind paste

1 tsp Ghee/Oil

1/2tsp Mustard seeds

4-5 Curry leaves

A pinch of Hing

Method:

1. Cook green beans with some salt and water; Keep aside.
2. Grind coconut, green chilies and jeera to a smooth paste with some water.Add the paste to the cooked veggies and boil well.
3. Add tamarind paste and some salt if required. Mix well and boil for a couple of more minutes.
4. Temper with mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves; Serve hot with rice and enjoi!

Asha from Foodie's Hope has passed on the "Yum Blog" Award to me.... Thanx sooo much, Ashakka!!! Glad that you find my blog yumm!! :) As per the rules, I am listing out 4 of my favorite desserts that I have tasted...

1. Gulab Jamun - My all time fav!! I could gobble up any number of them.
2. Pineapple Pastry - Mmmmmm!!! That's what I usually order at restaurants
3. Cashew Kheer - The first dessert I made, all by myself!!!!
4. Carrot Halwa - Who wouldn't love this one?!?! :)

I'd like to pass on the "Yum Blog" award to the following lovely bloggers...

Sig's Live to Eat

Archy's Recipe Book

Bee & Jai's Jugalbandi

EC's Simple Indian Food

Ambade/ Aambode/ Chattambade or simply Dal Vada

Aambode / Ambade / Chattambade are all the different Kannada names for our good old Dal Vada !!! This one is popular all over India and can also be made in different ways, using different ingredients. In Karnataka it is usually made during festivals and other special occasions. Here's my version of it. I am posting this on the request from a couple of my readers. Sorry about the delay, people. Things had gotten a little busy at my end in the past few days.... I'm sure you'll understand! :)

Ingredients:

1 cup Chana Dal, soaked in water for about 3-4 hours

1/2 Big Onion, chopped finely (Omit this, if it is for a festival or God's neivedyam)

2 Green chilies, low spiced

1/2 tsp Red chili powder

A pinch of Hing

3-4 Curry leaves, chopped finely

1/2 tbsp Grated Coconut, fresh/frozen (optional)

1 tbsp Rice flour

Salt as per taste

Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Pulse the green chilies in a blender until they are coarsely ground; Drain out the water completely from the soaked dal and pulse a couple of more times; The dal should only be coarsely ground and it should NOT become a paste.
2. Mix all the ingredients together, except the oil. At this point you can adjust the taste according to your preference.
3. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan; Meanwhile, take small dumplings out of the dal mixture and flatten them in between your palms.
4. Drop the vada into the hot oil and deep fry until it done; Make sure to keep the heat between low- medium.... If the heat is too high, the outer portions get cooked faster than the inner, and you'll end up with either burnt vadas or semi-cooked vadas.
5. Once done, remove from oil and drain into paper towels. Serve hot with coconut chutney or ketchup or just as is and enjoy!

Note: While flattening the dal mixture for deep frying, you can make it either very flat or leave it a little thick. the flatter ones turn out crisp and the thicker ones would be a little soft. So, its personal choice to make them flat or thick.

Prep Time: About 15 mins (excluding soaking time)

Makes:About 6-8 vadas

Tip/Variation: Gojjambade (Gojju+Ambade)

What do you usually do with the left over dal vadas?? Here is a Mangalorean tip to use up the left over dal vadas.

1 tsp White Til /Ellu / Sesame seeds

2 Dry red chilies, low-med spiced

1/2 tsp Coriander seeds (optional)

1/2 tsp Jeera (optional)

2 tsp Chana Dhalia/ Hurigadale/Putaani

1 tbsp Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

A pinch of hing

1/4 tsp Tamarind paste

1/2 tsp Jaggery

Salt as per taste

Dry roast the Til, red chilies, coriander seeds and jeera. Add coconut, hing and grind it to a smooth paste with some water. Boil well for a couple of minutes on stove; Add jaggery, tamarind, salt and mix well. Adjust ingredients according to taste; Let cool for a little while; Then, soak the left over vadas in the gravy for about 10-15 mins so that they absorb the spices well; Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve.