How to make Undrallu (South Indian Modak Recipe)

Undrallu is considered to be the favorite dish of Lord Ganesha and in South Indian this dish is prepared in all houses during the festival of Ganesh Chathurthi (Vinayaka Chavithi). Here is the recipe for preparation of Undrallu

Makes: 17 Undrallu

Ingredients:

Rice Rawa – 3Cups (50ml Cup)

Bengal Gram – 1 Cup (50ml Cup)

Salt to Taste

Cumin Seeds – 1/2tsp

Ghee – 1tsp

Preparations:

Take rice rawa in a bowl and wash it. Add water to cook the rawa. For one cup of rawa add 1 ¾ cups of water. Place this bowl in a pressure cooker and cook on high flame till pressure develops. Then simmer the cooker and cook for 10 minutes. Allow the cooker to cool completely and then remove the bowl.

Take Bengal gram in a separate bowl and wash it. Add some water to the dal and cook on low flame. Cook the dal till it is just cooked but not over cooked. Once the dal is cooked, remove excess water from it and keep it aside.

Method:

Spread the cooked rawa in a flat dish to cool. When cooled, loosen the cooked rawa with fingers and remove all lumps. Add the cooked Bengal gram and salt to the cooked rawa.

Heat a pan and add one tsp of ghee to it. When ghee melts and is hot enough add the cumin seeds and fry till they crackle. Add this seasoning to the prepared rawa mixture and mix well. Wet your palm and start making laddoo shaped balls and spread them in a plate.

Take a microwave safe bowl and arrange the prepared balls (Undrallu) in it. Place this bowl in a microwave oven and cover it partially. Cook these undrallu on low power (30%) for four minutes. After two minutes standing time, remove the bowl from the oven. This process would ensure the undrallu to be firm in round shape. Serve these tasty Undrallu with ginger chutney. The flavour of ghee and fried cumin is sufficient to give this bland rawa a great taste. Generally Undrallu are prepared on Vinayaka Chaviti as they are Lord Ganesha’s favourites. But one can have these Undrallu as a breakfast or office / school pack also.

Points to Notice:

Do not overcook the dal. For checking the cooked status of gram, take a grain of cooked gram between fingers and press it. If the grain mashes easily it is over cooked. If the grain mashes under too hard a pressure then it is under cooked. If the grain mashes with little...pressure then it is done to the requirement.

One can steam these undrallu in a pressure cooker also. Place the bowl of undrallu in a pressure cooker and close the lid. Do not put the weight on the pressure cooker. Steam these undrallu for 7 to 10 minutes. Cool the cooker and then serve hot after waiting for a minute.

Heat the ghee sufficiently so that when cumin seeds are added to the hot ghee they should crackle right away. Then we get the full flavour of cumin seeds. Be careful not to burn the cumin seeds which would mess up the entire dish.

How to make Rawa ?

Soak rice for few hours. Once the rice is soaked drain it and spread it on a cloth to dry in shade. When dried grind this rice in a mixer grinder and sieve it. Then you get equal quantities of fine rice flour and fine rice rawa. Use rice rawa to prepare Undrallu and use rice flour to make Modaks. Both the preparations are Lord Ganesha’s favourites.