Uppu Urundai ? may sound unusual for many, as this is typically a Naatupurathu / Countryside / Village / Gramathu / recipe which is almost loosing its popularity among most city folks. Only few people actually know or do this at home, a heavy stuffy breakfast or tiffin item only known to many as Upma kozhukattai. These are traditionally made with pounded rice / Noi arisi, typically made from short grain boiled rice or idli rice. Any variety can be used to make these urundais… long grain, short grain, par or fully boiled rice, or even Idli rawa. I ‘ve used raw sona masoori for my recipe and this is how it goes.
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | Raw rice (sona masoori) |
| ¼ cup | Fresh grated coconut |
| 1¼ teaspoon | Salt (or to taste) |
| 3 | Dry red chilies |
| ½ teaspoon | Mustard |
| ¼ teaspoon | Cumin seeds |
| ½ teaspoon | Bengal gram (kadala paruppu) |
| ¼ teaspoon | Split black gram |
| 1 teaspoon | Oil |
| ½ teaspoon | Asafoetida |
| 10 | Curry leaves |
Lets see how to make these uppu urundai….
This is pretty lengthy process and little time consuming, so save all your patience for the clean up task.
Soak raw rice (Sona masoori/ Pachai arisi / Idli rice ) for 2 hours in enough water. Then wash and rinse for few times and drain all the water using a colander. This could take about 10 minutes to make the rice partially dry.
Spread the wet rice over a clean kitchen towel and let it stay for 30 to 40 minutes to dry out completely. Then using your mixie, grind to a coarse powder and also add the grated coconut along with it during the last few pulses. (If using a wet grinder, then grind both rice and coconut together with 1/2 to 1 cup water almost similar to idli batter consistency) Keep this ready.
In a wide kadai/ wok, heat oil and splutter mustard, cumin seeds, bengal gram, split black gram with broken red chilies. Toast the curry leaves and sprinkle asafoetida powder. Now add about 2 cups of water with salt and bring it to a boil. Add the ground rice and coconut mixture and keep stirring, breaking all lumps until it rolls like a thick mass. (All water will evaporate and will thicken like upma). Switch off and let cool for 10 minutes. Do not stir until its totally dry, we need little loose sticky dough.
Meanwhile get a idli steamer ready filled with water and oil the plates. Applying little oil to your hands, shape the dough into small kozhukattais / dumplings and place them in the idli plate. Cover and steam for 8 to 10 minutes over medium high flame. When done, the dumplings will look shinny and the colour will change to pale white. Switch off at this stage. Serve hot with spicy kaara chutney or spicy podis. These are really stuffy breakfast and a few could soon fill your stomach. These are doubles steamed rice dumpling and healthy alternative (except for coconut) for dosai or idli.
Notes
Yields : 1 dozen upma kozhukattais.
Good when served hot and fresh. Re-heating not advisable and tend to make the dumplings rubbery and hard.
Upma Kozhukattai / Arisi Kozhukattai / Arisi Upma Urundai / Uppu Kozhukattai / Rice dumplings / Undrallu / Upma dumplings / Traditional Breakfast / Village / Gramathu recipes
16 Comments
yummy food!! its a best food @ evening time..
and we can add green vegetables also in this like carrot,fresh peas,beans & cashew nuts (option).
Hi Mullai,
Can we use the rice flour sold in markets to prepare this recipe?
Jaya, store bought rice flour won’t work for this recipe. You have to go from scratch. Thanks.
good one,reminds me of my mom.A super hit snack at my home durimg the rainy seasons after school.Thanks,will surely try it.
Mullai – Wonderful Site . Recently came to know of this website. Really great brilliant work. A great change is happening now in my cooking. I have tried few recipes out from the day I came to know of this site. All recipes (with no doubt) are great success.. Yesterday evening tried this & it came out really well. I have tried similar recipe before but it was always a flop. Thanks for your clear explantion & beautiful photos. Keep Rocking !!!
Reminds me of my grandmother. I love upu urndai which she makes. I’ll try this right away .. thanks for posting this recipe !!
I have always made this in the similar way. . a really traditional recipe.
HI Mullai,
I made the Uppu Kozhakatai today and the response was great. It was really good and my family loved it. Thanks again.
Hi Mullai,
Uppu Kozhakatai is one of my favorite next to idli. I have been longing to eat this and always think of my mom. I was so happy to see this recipe. I am going to try this out pretty soon and will surely post my comment on this.
Thanks for this recipe.
Ratna A
SARATHA RAVI
I will try it soon too..thanks mullai
Hi mullai akka, This recipe reminds me my mother….since it is one of the favorite recipe from my mother's kitchen…..i came to U.S six months back….after registering in ur site…i think i have learned lot of new dishes and very much eager to make it for my mother….. u r doing awesome work…ur recipes are great…..please continue for many number of sisters like me….
hi i made it today.. and all loved it at home…
Hi Mullai Akka,
Belated Kaarthikai Deepam Wishes !!
I tried making Paal kozhukattai yesterday and ended wth sme left over rice flour dough .Smethng flashed and started making dumplings thnking of vuppu vurandai..whch my mom usually makes.
I added everythng as needed for this recipe and steamed it for arnd 15 -20 mts. Smell was gud even the taste Akka !! bt the dumplings were not as hard as it shld be..anyways we finished it thnking of my moms dumplings..Was a gud experience thgh.. 😉
Mullai, wonderful recipe.. i wanted to try this always. Your recipes are too good and so tempting. I have become a regular visitor to this website. Thanks a ton!! is it ok to prepare the rice granules in bulk and store in air tight containers??
Mullai, the modern type of preparation of this upma kozhukattai, uses coarse ‘sooji’ (rice rava)
to avoid the soaking rice and drying it process. Just make arisi rava upma as usual and once done, and still warm, make balls and steam it..so easy and tasty!
Nice one Mullai…it’s a new recipe for me….really want to try.