45 UNDRALLU

Undrallu/Rice Balls/Kozhukattai - Spicy/Savory Version


Each family has a their own version and a name of cooking a dish and this is my grandma's/mom's way or native special of making undrallu. Most of you might know that it can be made like a sweet just like kozhukattai or modak or even adding the balls in coconut jaggery mixture. This recipe is a savoury version using the same rice balls called as undrallu in my home language. Can be had as a snack or breakfast/tiffin.


Boiled Rice - 1 cup
Salt as needed
Oil - 3 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal - 3/4 tsp
Hing/Asafoetida - a pinch
Curr leaves - few
Coriander leaves - few chopped
Onion - 1 chopped fine
Green chillies - 5 chopped or slit long
Ginger - a small piece chopped or grated
Coconut grated - 2 tbsp


Was and soak the rice for 4 - 5 hours and later grind to a very smooth paste in a grinder/mixer. Can also add little salt while grinding. Transfer the ground paste in a thick vessel add a tbsp of oil and cook by stirring all the time till it is thick enough to get a dough conistency. Cover with a lid. Apply oil to your hands and take a small amount of dough and roll between your palms to a round small marble like. Repeat the same with the remaining dough. This dough is just like the preparation of my Idiayppam dough.

The other way to make the dough is using the rice flour. Take rice flour and little salt. Heat water until it boils and bubbles up, add salt in the same. Now pour the hot water and mix with the help of a long spoon/ladle. Rest for a while and use your hands to knead to a soft dough. Make small marble sized balls and keep aside.

At home they use boiled rice version with soaking and grinding to make this as we get very soft and smooth balls though the later one is much simpler and easy.


Cooking the balls.

Place them all in a plate or vessel and steam on high in a pressure pan or idli cooker for 12 - 15 mts. Check them and cook for another few minutes if it is not done.

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, urad dhal wait for few seconds and add hing and curry leaves. Immediately add chopped onions and fry till light brown. Next add green chillies, ginger, salt and fry for another 3 minutes. Then add the cooked/steamed rice balls and mix well. Also add grated coconut and mix and fry again for 2 - 3 minutes. Remove and serve as it is or with any chutney.