Paruppu Urundai kuzhambu, a very popular South Indian gravy recipe with step-by-step pictures and tips to make perfect urundais.
Paruppu urundai kuzhambu is nothing but steamed dal dumplings are cooked in tamarind gravy. Unlike Sambar, we are not adding cooked dal to the gravy. Steamed dal dumplings are added to a vatha kuzhambu style gravy.
Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu, my mom makes during our childhood days, but I never used to eat it. But slowly I started loving it after I got married. The main tip I got from my mom for making urundai kuzhambu is, we should not add water while grinding the dal mixture.
The mixture should be made into a tight ball and steamed well. Adding more of toor dal and less of chana dal gives soft paruppu urundais. Paruppu urundai is a protein-rich South Indian gravy.
You can also check out Paruppu urundai rasam, Bonda mor kuzhambu, Karuveppilai kuzhambu, Poondu kuzhambu
Paruppu urundai kuzhambu recipe
Ingredients
For making urundai (10 urundais)
- ¼ cup Toor dal
- 1 tbsp chana dal
- 2 red chili
- 6 small onions | Shallots
- Salt as needed
- ¼ tsp asafoetida
For making the gravy
- 3 cups thin tamarind extract from lemon sized tamarind
- 2 tsp sambar powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- Salt as needed
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- ¼ tsp mustard seeds
- Few curry leaves
Instructions
- Wash and soak the dals together for 45 minutes.
- Drain the water completely and grind it into a slightly coarse paste by adding red chili, salt and asafoetida to this.
- Peel the skin of the shallots and finely chop them and mix it to the ground dal mix.
- Adding onions is optional but it gives softness and nice taste to the paruppu urundai.
- You can even add ½ tsp of fennel seeds to this.
- Grease your hands and make small tight balls.
- If the balls are loose, the urundais will break after steaming.
- Grease the idli plate and arrange the urundais on it and steam it for 12 to 15 minutes on medium flame.
- Insert a tooth pick to check out whether it is done.
- In a pan, add sesame oil and add the mustard seeds.
- When it splutters add the tamarind extract and add the turmeric powder, salt, sambar powder, curry leaves and asafoetida.
- When it starts boiling simmer the flame and add the steamed paruppu urundais carefully to the boiling gravy one by one.
- Do not stir the gravy after adding the urundais.
- Let this boil till it reaches a kulambu (gravy) consistency.
- It should be slightly thicker than the sambar.
- Serve with hot rice. Normally we mix the gravy with hot rice and keep he urundais as accompaniment.
- We had with avarakkai (broad beans) curry and Vazhakkai chips.
Notes
2. Some people add fennel seeds while grinding the dal.
3. You can also add a tsp of cumin seed while grinding.
4. Some people may add coconut to the gravy, if you want to add just grind 2-3 tblsp of coconut with little water and add it to the gravy in the last.
5. Always ensure that the paruppu urundai should be tight and while grinding do not add water.
6. If it is loose they may tend to break after putting it into the gravy.
7. Paruppu urundai kuzhambu pairs well with hot rice.
- Wash and soak the dals together for 45 minutes.
- Drain the water completely and grind it into a slightly coarse paste by adding red chili, salt and asafoetida to this.
- Peel the skin of the shallots and finely chop them and mix it to the ground dal mix.
- Adding onions is optional but it gives softness and nice taste to the paruppu urundai.
- You can even add ½ tsp of fennel seeds to this.
- Grease your hands and make small tight balls.
- If the balls are loose, the urundais will break after steaming.
- Grease the idli plate and arrange the urundais on it and steam it for 12 to 15 minutes on medium flame.
- Insert a tooth pick to check out whether it is done.
- In a pan, add sesame oil and add the mustard seeds.
- When it splutters add the tamarind extract and add the turmeric powder, salt, sambar powder, curry leaves and asafoetida.
- When it starts boiling simmer the flame and add the steamed paruppu urundais carefully to the boiling gravy one by one.
- Do not stir the gravy after adding the urundais.
- Let this boil till it reaches a kulambu (gravy) consistency.
- It should be slightly thicker than the sambar.
- Serve with hot rice. Normally we mix the gravy with hot rice and keep he urundais as accompaniment.
- We had with avarakkai (broad beans) curry and Vazhakkai chips.
- Adding onions is totally optional. My mom told adding onions makes it soft.
- Some people add fennel seeds while grinding the dal.
- You can also add a tsp of cumin seed while grinding.
- Some people may add coconut to the gravy, if you want to add just grind 2-3 tblsp of coconut with little water and add it to the gravy in the last.
- Always ensure that the paruppu urundai should be tight and while grinding do not add water.
- If it is loose they may tend to break after putting it into the gravy.
- Paruppu urundai kuzhambu pairs well with hot rice.
Looks so yum ….the last pic is so tempting ..
So yummy.. this is my favourite kuzhambhu
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One of my favorites Jeyashri….The bowl looks too tempting
looks pretty 🙂 i loved it you steamed the balls instead of frying 🙂 i totally do this way
Looks yummy .. I add onions and steam the balls too. Favorite kuzhambu.
So yummy and authentic!!!
Sowmya
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lovely comforting meal..love this one and I always wanted to blog this kuzhumbu somehow never took pics..
Mouthwatering!
Tempting spread and love the urundai kuzhambu….Looks very delicious…
I fry the balls many times but steaming is way more healthier nice clicks and lovely recipe as alwaysss 🙂
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My all time fav kuzhambu…We used to add the urundai directly into the kuzhmabu and cook it and its tastes more flavorful..Nice colorful pics…
Loved the last click jeyashri…my MIL makes this kuzhambu and instead of steaming she directly adds it in the gravy, but I always prefer it this way 🙂
superb looks… will you pass it to me…
Looks delicious healthy & yummy,loved it!!
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Lucen exquisitas me encantan las albóndigas muy buena elaboración,abrazos hugs,hugs.
hey my urundais got disintegrated 🙁 i dunno what the prob was!
Ramya the reason may be the dal mixture must be slightly watery. Or you must not have steamed it properly. Check out and go ahead
Looks very delicious, its my favorite all time 🙂
super tempting dear
This is my fav anytime…can have it even daily avlo pidikum 🙂 Super tempting clicks, love that serving bowl too…
i didnt get the gravy consistency….its watery.what to do?
The reason might be you must have added a lot of water or the dal urundais may be less. You can make a thin paste of 1 tsp of rice flour and add to the gravy and boil for few minutes. It will become thick
thanks mam, because of you my wife cooking well,உங்களால் தான் எங்கள் வீட்டில் அடுப்பு எறியுது
The curry came out yummy…awesome recipe..!!!
my urundai becomes so hard like rock i dnt knw what i have done i put the same measuremnt u said and i dnt put oninons may be i think that was my mistake
Onions will give softness, but if you are omitting onions,ensure that the dal mixture is not too thick.
Awesome Jeyashri. You always rocks. I am following your recipes last six months. My wife likes my dishes now, all because of you.Now i took cooking is my hobby. Vazhga Valamudan. Vazhga pallandu.