- Submitted by Dahlia
(Lentil Dumpling in Spicy Curry)
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Paruppu urundai kulambu is a South Indian variation of Kofta curry. Lentil balls are made with channa dal paste and cooked in a tangy, spicy gravy. It is one of a delicious gravy with rice. It doesn’t need any side dish actually. Just appalam is enough to make it a satisfying meal.
Brahmins prefer to make Paruppu Urindai Kuzhambu without onions. My friend Raji has already shared the recipe of that variations. The recipe shared today is with a thick gravy including onion, tomato and coconut paste. Do try this out.
Recipe For Paruppu Urundai Kulambu
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
To make the Paruppu Urundai
- Channa Dal – 1 cup
- Dry Red Chilies – 5
- Fennel Seeds – 1 tsp
- Asafoetida – ¼ tsp
- Onion -1
- Curry Leaves – few
- Salt – as required
To make the Kuzhambu
- Onion – 2 (finely chopped)
- Garlic – 10 cloves (crushed)
- Tomato -1 (chopped or pureed)
- Tamarind – lemon sized (soaked in water)
- Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
- Red Chili Powder – 2 tsp
- Coriander Powder – 2 tsp
- Sesame oil – 2 tbsp
- Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
- Fennel Seeds – ½ tsp
- Salt – as required
- Curry Leaves – 1 sprig
- Coriander Leaves – 2 sprigs
Method
- Wash and soak the channa dal with dry red chilies for 1 hour.
- Drain all the water and grind the soaked dal with dry red chilies, fennel seeds and salt. Grind it coarsely without adding any water.
- Take the ground dal mix in a bowl. Finely chop the onion and curry leaves and mix with it.
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- Make small balls with this ball mix and keep aside.
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- In the meantime, heat oil in a kadai. Pop the mustard seeds and fennel seeds.
- Add crushed garlic cloves and curry leaves. After a minute of frying, add the chopped onions.
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- Saute until it turns golden brown and then add the chopped tomato.
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- Once the tomatoes become totally mashed up, add the turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder. Add extracted tamarind juice and required salt.
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- Cook for about 5 minutes for the raw smell of the spices and tamarind to vanish.
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- Add about 3 cups of water with salt if needed and bring to a boil. Adjust water consistency according to gravy required.
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- Reduce the flame and gently drop the prepared paruppu balls in the gravy. Cook partially covered for 15 minutes.
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- The lentil balls start floating once its cooked. Oil starts oozing out. Switch off and add finely chopped coriander leaves.
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