On a cold winter morning, imagine having a protein filled breakfast that is steamed and is very healthy for you. No, this is not some fancily described dish but our very own delicious Karnataka special nucchina unde. It is loaded with good protein coming from the dals and steaming these fun bundles makes them extra healthy. Nucchina unde is best enjoyed with bisi bisi paladya or kadhi. A chatpata pickle on the side elevates this dish even more.
For nucchina unde, I like to mostly use togaribele/toor dal, it gives nice body, it is easy to digest and has a sweet rounding taste. Other dals are added to enrich the dish and for different textures. The most important flavouring for nucchina unde is shunthi/ginger/adrak. It is essential for digestion and for the taste it brings out of the dals. I add jeera and black pepper, 2 of my most favourite spices. And I forgot to mention, I also add mustard, it gives a slight pungent taste and combined with coconut and green chilli makes it extra tasty.
Do not soak the dals for a long time, 4-5 hours works well. While grinding, don’t add a lot of water, some people like to keep it very coarse but I like to make it little less coarse. But ensure to not make it into a complete paste with water, we have to make dumplings or unde with the ground batter. The finger prints are necessary for that homemade feeling! Try more steamed recipes from FOI, pundi gatti, kucchida kadubu, sabsige soppu kadubu, kotte idli and more!
Nucchina Unde | Karnataka Nucchina Unde | Steamed Recipes
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Loaded with protein and delicious flavour, steamed Karnataka special nucchina unde
Author: Vindhya Desai
Recipe type: Breakfast
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 2-3 people
Ingredients
- ½ Cup togaribele/toor dal
- 1 Tbsp kadalebele/chana dal
- ¼ Cup packed grated coconut
- 1 Tsp jeera
- ½ Tsp mustard
- 1" ginger
- 1-2 green chilli
- 2-3 sprigs coriander
- 5-6 curry leaves/ karibevu
- 1 small crystal hing/asafoetida
- Coarse sea salt to taste
- 1 pinch baking powder
Method
- In a bowl, add the dals, wash and soak them for 4-5 hours
- Drain the dals , and add them into a mixer jar
- Gather green chillies, ginger, curry leaves, peel ginger, and chop them roughly
- Add these to the dals
- Also add mustard, jeera, black pepper and hing/asafoetida
- Pulse the dals once
- Next add grated coconut and coarsely grind into a thick paste, do not add too much water
- Empty this into a bowl, add baking powder and salt to taste
- Next finely chop dill leaves and coriander leaves
- Add these to the paste
- Give everything a quick mix, do not overbeat
- Grease plates with oil
- Take fistfuls of the dal mixture and make kadubu as shown, wet your hands while doing this, place these on greased plates
- Make kadubu with remaining batter and prepare for steaming
- Steam in a steamer for 11-12 minutes till they are set and done
- Let them rest for 5 minutes
- Serve piping hot with kadhi or paladya
Notes
You can add more chana dal if you prefer
Do not forget to add ginger, it aids in digestion
Do not grind the mixture into a fine paste, add less water and pulse, the paste should be coarse
Wet your palms while shaping the kadubu, you can make them round too
Do not forget to add ginger, it aids in digestion
Do not grind the mixture into a fine paste, add less water and pulse, the paste should be coarse
Wet your palms while shaping the kadubu, you can make them round too
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Nucchina Unde Stepwise:
In a bowl, add the dals, wash and soak them for 4-5 hours
Drain the dals , and add them into a mixer jar
Gather green chillies, ginger, curry leaves, peel ginger, and chop them roughly
Add these to the dals
Also add mustard, jeera, black pepper and hing/asafoetida
Pulse the dals once
Next add grated coconut and coarsely grind into a thick paste, do not add too much water
Empty this into a bowl, add baking powder and salt to taste
Next finely chop dill leaves and coriander leaves
Add these to the paste
Give everything a quick mix, do not overbeat
Grease plates with oil
Take fistfuls of the dal mixture and make kadubu as shown, wet your hands while doing this, place these on greased plates
Make kadubu for remaining batter and prepare for steaming
Steam in a steamer for 11-12 minutes till they are set and done
Let them rest for 5 minutes
Serve piping hot with kadhi or paladya
