Undi is one of the most popular breakfast dishes for many of the Konkanis. But I never heard or tasted this before. From few days, I was getting a lot of requests for this dish. I had few recipes of this dish, but I wanted something tried and tested. Aayi gave me a recipe for this when she saw many requests for this recipe here, but somehow, I never tried it – somehow I feel if Aayi had developed this blog instead of me, this blog would have been in a better shape today :).
2-3 days back, Gowri sent me this recipe and same day I also got a request from one more person for this dish. So I thought it is high time for me to try this. I tried it for breakfast yesterday and it came out very well. My husband’s remark on this – “It tastes somewhere between kadamb, idli and upma. If you consider these three as the three nodes of the triangle, Undi is the center of the triangle”. Isn’t that a sweet explanation for a simple query like, “How is it?” :D.
Today Aruna sent me Undi recipe. The only difference in the two was, around 1 tea spn sugar was added instead of curry leaves and green chilies. She also mentioned a different shape – “Make small balls of it, flatten on plam and make a small hole, just press a little with finger”.
Thanks to you both for this recipe. See Nandita’s Upma Kozhakattai which is similar to Konkani Undi.
Ingredients:
1 cup rice rava(idli rava)
½ cup grated coconut(fresh or frozen)
2-3 green chillies
4-5 curry leaves
1 tea spn urad daal
1 tea spn mustard seeds
¼ tea spn fenugreek seeds
3 tbl spn coconut oil
Method:
Heat coconut oil add mustard seed, fenugreek, urad daal, slit green chillies and curry leaves. When it starts popping add rava and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add salt, coconut and boiling water(around 3 cups). Stir and close the lid. Cook until it is completely cooked.
Let it cool a bit and then form round small balls. Grease a cooker vessel and lineup these balls.
Steam these balls in cooker for 15 minutes.
Serve hot with coconut chutney. I served it with asafoetida chutney.
Serves : 2-3
Preparation time : 25mins
PS: Be careful with the use of fenugreek(methi) seeds, they might give a tinge of bitterness to this dish.
Thanks! This is one of the forgotten treasures in my household. Thanks for reminding. When i try to remember, the taste still lingers. I will have to try this one soon….
Hey Shilpa,
That’s very quick. Thanks for posting it. Looks A++…
We call this as upma kozhakattai in Tamil Nadu. Tastes yummy.
Shilpa,
We make it differently.. made from scratch.. soak rice in water, then grind it with coconut. Then heat the batter to a semi-solid form and put tadka of mustard and fenugreek seeds and then make balls to steam it. The process is similar to making “shevai” till the tadka part. We eat it either it plain syrup made of jaggery, cardamom
and water or with spicy potato/tomato “humman”. Your version sounds easier.
Thanks,
A
I got the recipe from my mom just this morning. Maybe i will try it the coming Sunday. My mom makes this very well. She says that more of coconut gives it a better taste. Thanks for posting.
Shilpa, it looks nice. Thanks for sharing. Viji
Looks great Shilpa. Akki nucchhu Uppit Unde!:D Great idea.
Thanks a lot for this recipe Shilpa Akka…I have had Oondi dalitoy at Idli house..now I will try making that myself.
When progressive “Amchigelisation” of a Maharashrrian GSB girl happens Akka, Mai etc becomes a habit…slowly but surely. So you became Shilpa akka some 3 or 4 posts ago!!
Hi Shilpa
I have so much catching up to do in blogging, especially in your site 🙂
I didn’t know that this recipe was common to other Indian cuisines too…you’ve reminded me that I havent had upma kozhakattai in ages – will make this week – i like your version too Shilpa!
Hi Shilpa,great unde..We make similar balls out of rice flour for vinayaka chavithi,we call it undarallu..but without the coconut and the tadka ingredients.and we add a small quantity of soaked chanadal to it too.Wil try this version some time soon.Thanks for sharing,you have so many amazing recipes in your blog.!
This is my favorite too and my mom used to make it. We ate it with honey or jaggery syrup as kids but as adults eat it with any curry or gravy.
The undi should always have a small finger indentation in each one. They should never be perfect rounds because then they will resemble the pinda rice balls used in funeral rites .
Thanks to you all for your comments. I hope you all will like it.
Mai, I have no idea about the connection between pinda and these balls. I don’t beleive that is the case because its composition is completely different than pinda. This is never prepared at my home and when I got the recipe from Gowri, I followed it exactly.
Shilpa,
I have eaten undis made by my mom for 20 yrs and I know the reason for not making them perfect round. We did the same for the rice balls steamed before making shevai. The reason is just a belief (like the chinese chopsticks in rice bowl rule) and you are free not to follow it.
I posted because when recipes get passed on the cooks leave out some details and add their own personal touches. It was just fyi.
Shilpa but I agree with Mayi…Undi’s should never be perfectly round. At least thats the way from Grandma to my mother prepared and the reason give by Mayi is in my humble opinion is correct.
Maayi, Baab, thanks for the information. I will post that picture also here when I make it next time.
Hi Shilpa , I liked the reciepe but we used to make it with red boiled rice(ukkade thandulu) and it used to go with a combination of garlic/coconut chutney.
Hello Shilpa,
Great website! Was recetly looking for some authentic konkani recipies,and bumped into your website. Had forgotten about undi till I came across your site,must try making it soon. My mum makes it from scratch,from rice,with a finger indentation just before she steams it. wish I had time to make idlis and dosas for breakfast everday:). Keep up the good work,and shall be visiting your site frequently to check up on new recipies.
Namrata
Hi Shilpa.
This Blog is a gift for newly wed ladies. I Love to try out the recipes given here. I wanted to add a little to this blog with something that I tried last week. The recipe is very simple and easy to cook. Please let me know how I can go about mailing that Recipe to you.
Thanks a ton for the Ideas you provide here………
Love Sanju 😉
Yum, these look perfect! Chutney looks good too…already I am changing my dinner plans! I also have some pictures of undi on my blog, if you are interested: http://mangosoup.blogspot.com/2009/08/steamed-rice-and-coconut-balls.html
Hello shilpa,
Great recipe!!!
my mum used to make it instantly anytime 🙂
i used to love it soooooo much… v used to have it wid onion chutney or wid a little coconut oil n spicy pickle … yummy mouth-watering!!!
gud site 🙂 keep posting new recipes 🙂
Hey Shilpa. I have to thank you for this great blog and the recipes therein. I have had the privilege of trying out quite a few of your unique concoctions. I am an accomplished cook myself and you are an inspiration.
Thanks again and keep up the great work.
Best
Gopal
Hi Shilpa… I like your blog alot 🙂 Some of the recipes u make easier for starters 🙂
Hi Shilpa
I tried this recipe today but it didnt become like an independent undi 🙁 Think the water was too much ? It was sticky only and even after steaming it didnt really get a life of its own. Wonder what went wrong ? Please help.
I tried this and my undis were very sticky. Please help..
May be it was not fully cooked?
Hi Shilpa,
The reason why undi’s have a depression on them ( as mentioned by Aruna) is that if that it not done it looks like the pinda during shraddha.
I have done this two times, but I get center part un cooked wat may b the reason for that.
Try cooking for longer time on a low heat
Hi Shilpa
very good recipe as told especially fr working women ,they can prepare it previous day itself. But i have one doubt idli rava should b soaked or should we put it directly from idli rava packet? or else should we wash it? Some times there will b sand particles naa
You can wash it nicely and use it.