Uppurundai / Steamed Rice balls

Uppurundai is a breakfast dish and my mom used to make this mostly on sunday mornings. It actally means salted(uppu) balls(urundai) - I don't know why it got this name. I always feel it should've been named as Arisi/thengai-urundai (rice/coconut balls). This is simple to make and makes a filling and healthy breakfast. This goes very well with Coconut chutney and even simply sugar(my favorite).

My mother-in-law also makes this but it'll be little different where the batter will be grinded very coarsely as rava. That gives a different taste and I'll try to post it sometime soon.

Ingredients:

Raw Rice- 2 cups (soak for 2-3 hrs)

Coconut shredded /powder - 2 tbsp (can use whole too)

Whole Black Pepper - 1 tsp

Green chili - 2 chopped (be careful when giving for kids)

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Chana dal - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Coconut pieces - 1/2 cup (cut into small pieces)

Curry leaves

Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt

Procedure:

Grind the soaked raw rice with water and coconut to a smooth batter. Add salt to this and keep it separate

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and cumin seeds. Once they splutter, add urad dal, chana dal and fry till they turn color. Then add green chilies, black pepper, curry leaves and coconut pieces.

Reduce the flame to medium and add the ground batter.

Keep stirring to mix all the ingredients to the batter without any lumps

Once the batter mixed well and comes well together as a dough, remove from flame.

Grease your hands with oil and make small balls of the dough. Be careful as the dough will be hot.

Arrange the balls in a plate and steam them in a idly vessel or pressure cooker without weight as you do for idlies. Steam for 15 minutes.

Serve them hot with coconut chutney

Tips:

For instant purposes you can use rice flour and mix it with water instead of grinding the soaked rice

You may avoid green chillies, if u r serving kids

Keep a water bowl ready when making the balls, which u can use to cool ur hands.