Nei Urundai Recipe

Recipe for Nei Urundai – Ghee Laddu. Traditionally made in Tamilnadu for Christmas. Recipe with step by step pictures.

Nei Urundai is something that I remember fondly from my childhood during Christmas time. Nei Urundai, sweet biscuits and savories like mixture and murukku would come from my neighbour Paulson’s home. Not everyone baked Plum Cake then. Nei Urundai is predominantly made with rice flour. Many people use the term Nei Urundai and Pasi Paruppu Urundai (green gram laddus) interchangeably. Nei Urundai is closely connected to Christmas in Tamilnadu. When Stella posted the recipe for Nei urundai, I was immediately hooked and I am so glad I tried this recipe. It brings back a lot of memories filled with Christmas carol at Paulson’s home with endless supply of Mango Rasna (The tang of our days). Do try this melt in your mouth Nei Urundai.

You will need a weighing scale for this recipe. Dear readers, I do not have cup measurements for this recipe. Weighing is more precise and accurate when making desserts. Here is what I recommend.

We will be making our own rice flour for this recipe. In case if you do not have time, you can use readymade idiyappam flour for this recipe instead of home made flour. Soak raw rice in water for half an hour. Drain the rice and allow it to dry on a cloth for a couple of hours.

Grind the rice to a fine powder in a heavy duty mixie. It is important that the rice is ground fine. Fine rice powder will give a melt in your mouth texture to the final urundai.

Sieve the rice using a fine mesh sieve. Grind the coarse rice that did not pass through the sieve again till you get a fine powder.

A heavy duty Indian mixie does the job well and here is what I use and recommend.

Dry roast the split moong dal on a low flame till the lentils are nutty and aromatic. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Grind the lentil to a fine powder.

Sieve the powder. Grind the coarse lentil that did not pass through the sieve again till you get a fine powder. Set aside.

Grind the sugar along with cardamom to a fine powder. Set aside.

Heat a heavy sauce pan on low heat and dry roast the rice flour and lentil powder on a very low flame. Dry roast until the flour and the lentil powder starts smelling nutty and very hot to touch. Add in the powdered sugar mixture. Make sure the flame is set to low.

Make a well in the center of the pan and add in the ghee.

Mix well for a couple of minutes.

Remove from heat and let the mixture slightly cool a bit. When the mixture is still hot enough to handle, make small bite size balls.

Once the balls are cool, store the balls in an air tight container for up to two weeks.

• 250 grams Rice Flour (Homemade flour or Idiyappam flour)
• 50 grams Split Moong Dal
• 150 grams Sugar
• 6 Cardamom
• 100 grams ghee

1. Dry roast the split moong dal on a low flame till the lentils are nutty and aromatic. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2. Grind the lentil to a fine powder. Sieve the powder. Grind the coarse lentil that did not pass through the sieve again till you get a fine powder. Set aside.
3. Grind the sugar along with cardamom to a fine powder. Set aside.
4. Heat a heavy sauce pan on low heat and dry roast the rice flour and lentil powder on a very low flame. Dry roast until the flour and the lentil powder starts smelling nutty.
5. Add in the powdered sugar mixture. Make sure the flame is set to low.
6. Make a well in the center of the pan and add in the ghee.
7. Mix well for a couple of minutes.
8. Remove from heat and let the mixture slightly cool a bit. When the mixture is still hot enough to handle, make small bite size balls.
9. Once the balls are cool, store the balls in an air tight container for up to two weeks.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu

• 250 grams Rice Flour (Homemade flour or Idiyappam flour)
• 50 grams Split Moong Dal
• 150 grams Sugar
• 6 Cardamom
• 100 grams ghee

1. Dry roast the split moong dal on a low flame till the lentils are nutty and aromatic. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2. Grind the lentil to a fine powder. Sieve the powder. Grind the coarse lentil that did not pass through the sieve again till you get a fine powder. Set aside.
3. Grind the sugar along with cardamom to a fine powder. Set aside.
4. Heat a heavy sauce pan on low heat and dry roast the rice flour and lentil powder on a very low flame. Dry roast until the flour and the lentil powder starts smelling nutty.
5. Add in the powdered sugar mixture. Make sure the flame is set to low.
6. Make a well in the center of the pan and add in the ghee.
7. Mix well for a couple of minutes.
8. Remove from heat and let the mixture slightly cool a bit. When the mixture is still hot enough to handle, make small bite size balls.
9. Once the balls are cool, store the balls in an air tight container for up to two weeks.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/nei-urundai-recipe/

Recipe for Kongunad special Seeraga Puttu / Jilakara Kudumulu. Recipe made with homeground coarse parboiled rice and toor dal. Steamed dumplings recipe.

This recipe for Seeraga Puttu / Jilakara Kudumulu is very popular among the telugu speaking community of the Kongu region. These steamed dumplings are spiced with cumin seeds and pepper. Jilakara means cumin seeds. Parboiled rice (puzungal arisi) is dry roasted along with toor dal and made into a coarse powder. This mixture is then cooked, formed into dumplings and steamed.

Here is how to do it. You will need Parboiled rice (puzungal arisi) for this recipe. Dry roast the rice, toor dal, cumin and black pepper in a pan until the ingredients are hot to touch. About a couple of minutes. Set aside.

Grind the dry roasted rice mixture in a mixie. Grind to a coarse powder. Rava like consistency. Do not grind fine. We need a slightly coarse texture for the rice.

Using a wide meshed strainer, sieve the mixture and grind the bigger pieces again. If you do not have a sieve, You may grind the toor dal and rice separately as toor dal takes time to grind.

We are aiming for a coarse powder. The toor dal can be a little big and thats fine. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds and chana dal. Add in the curry leaves, split green chillies and dried red chillies. Let the mustard seeds crackle.

Add in the chopped onions and salt. Saute till the onions are soft.

Add in the fresh shredded coconut. Saute for a minute. Add in 2.5 cups of water. Let the water come to a boil.

Once the water is boiling, add in the ground rice and dal mixture.

Cook for 3-4 minutes till the mixture absorbs all the water and becomes thick. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Let the dough become warm. When the dough is still warm, dip your hands in cold water and take a small lemon size ball of dough. Press the dough a little to form oblong shaped dumplings. Set aside. (Remove the chillies while making the dumplings)

Place the dumplings on an idli plate or any flat plate and steam it for 15 minutes on a medium flame. Remove from heat.

Serve hot with coconut chutney , red chutney or kara chutney .

• 1 cup Parboiled rice (puzhungal arisi)
• 3 tablespoon toor dal
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon chana dal
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 2 green chillies
• 2 dry red chillies
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup fresh shredded coconut

1. Dry roast the rice, toor dal, cumin and black pepper on a pan until the ingredients are hot to touch. About a couple of minutes. Set aside.
2. Grind the dry roasted rice mixture in a mixie. Grind to a coarse powder.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds and chana dal. Add in the curry leaves, split green chillies and dried red chillies. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
4. Add in the chopped onions and salt and saute till the onions are soft.
5. Add in the fresh shredded coconut. Saute for a minute. Add in 2.5 cups of water. Let the water come to a boil.
6. Once the water is boiling, add in the ground rice and dal mixture.
7. Cook for 3-4 minutes till the mixture absorbs all the water and becomes thick. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
8. Let the dough become warm. When the dough is still warm, dip your hands in cold water and take a small lemon size ball of dough. Press the dough a little to form oblong shaped dumplings. Set aside. (Remove the chillies while making the dumplings)
9. Place the dumplings on an idli plate or any flat plate and steam it for 15 minutes on a medium flame. Remove from heat.
10. Serve hot with coconut chutney, red chutney or kara chutney.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Category: Breakfast
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu