Nuchchinunde

What is it?

Its steamed lentil dumplings popular in the Malnad, Western-Ghat areas of Karnataka in India. This dish is eaten like Idli and can be consumed as a breakfast or evening snack with little ghee or chutney.

Recipe

1. Wash and soak 1 cup of lentils (I usually do 1/2 Chana Dal/Split Chickpeas 1/2 Toor Dal/Split Yellow Pigeon Peas) the night before and let it soak in water for about 8 hrs.
2. Drain the water.
3. Grid the soaked lentils, 1/2 inch slice of ginger, 2 green chillies, salt to taste until they attain coarse and grainy structure like wet sand.
4. Mix the ground mixture with chopped onion, a spoon of ghee, chopped correander leaves and some dessicated coconut.
5. Create oval shaped dough balls of the above mixture. Take care not to apply too much pressure while creating them. Press enough to hold structure but not more.
6. Steam gently pressed dough balls of the above mixture for 20-30 minutes.