Kandi untalu and Majjiga pulusu

Namo Narayana. This is our 100th post and we thank all our blog readers for encouraging us and supporting our effort.

As the 100th post, we bring another set of dual recipe(s) that compliment and supplement each other. Kandi untalu and majjiga pulusu also known as togribele nucchinunde and majjige huli in Kannada and kanduntlu majjigpulsu in the local rayalaseema dialect is a completely Karnataka and Rayalaseema recipe. Totally nutritious and prepared in a healthy way, this dual recipe is one of the tastiest south Indian delicacies. Unta meaning rolls, kandi untalu are steamed pigeon pea rolls, while majjiga pulusu is yoghurt based recipe.

Thank you Vijaya aunty for the expert inputs.

Preparation time: 20-30mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Kandi untalu:

Pigeon peas (Toor dal/ kandipappu/ togri bele) 200gms
Green chillies 2
Ginger ½ inch
Grated fresh coconut 1/4th cup
Pinch of Asafoetida (hing)
Pinch of salt
Few drops of refined cooking oil
Fresh and finely chopped coriander

Majjiga pulusu

Bengal gram (Senagabedalu/Channa dal) 2 tbsp
Green chilly 1
Coriander 2 strands
Ginger 1/4th inch
Cumin seeds (jeera) 1tsp
Fresh and grated Coconut 2 tsp
Buttermilk 1 ladle
Refined cooking oil 2 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Fenugreek(menthulu/methi) seeds 1/4th tsp
Red chilli 1
Curry leaves 4-5
Pinch of Asafoetida
Pinch of turmeric
Salt to taste

Method:

Kandi untalu:

Wash and soak the pigeon peas for 2 hours. Drain the water.

Grind into a coarse paste: the pigeon peas, 2 green chillies and ginger. Note that the paste should be coarse or else it will be difficult to make rolls.

To the coarsely ground paste, add grated coconut, asafoetida and chopped coriander and mix well. Add a pinch of salt and mix. Chopped onions and mint can also be added (optional).

Take lumps of the mixture and make oval shaped rolls by clutching in between the hand.

Grease the idli plates with a drop of oil. Place the rolls in the idli plates of an idli cooker and leave to cook. Incase using a normal pressure cooker or any large and shallow vessel; place the rolls at enough distance from each other on a shallow and flat dish that is greased with a drop of oil. Add water into the pressure cooker/large vessel. Place the dish with the rolls, cover and steam for 8-10 mins till cooked. Pierce with a fork/toothpick to ensure the rolls are cooked. If the tooth pick comes out smooth, the rolls are done.

Remove the rolls carefully into a serving dish.

Majjiga pulusu


Wash and soak the Bengal gram for half an hour.

Grind to fine paste: soaked Bengal gram, green chilly, cumin seeds, coriander, ginger, pinch of asafoetida, pinch of turmeric, pinch of salt and grated coconut.

Boil water with a pinch of salt. To the boiling water add the Bengal gram paste and mix.
Keep stirring till one boil.


Add buttermilk and mix. Leave for 2 mins and switch the stove off. Incase thick curds is being used, beat the curds thoroughly before adding to ensure no lumps are formed.

Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan. Add the red chilli, mustard seeds and as the mustard seeds pop, add curry leaves and fenugreek seeds. Season the majjiga pulusu with this tempering.


Kandi untalu and majjiga pulusu are ready to serve. The authentic way of having them is to scramble the kandi untalu, mix it with ghee topped rice and have it along with majjiga pulusu or vice versa. Sometimes the kandi untalu are dipped in to the majjiga pulusu and had as it is. There also times, when the kandi untalu are soaked in the majjiga pulusu and served. However had, kandi untalu and majjiga pulusu is probably the most nutritious and healthy recipe ever known. Right from proteins to calcium, every nutrient is available in this dual recipe. The icing is the procedure used: steam cooking.

Thanking all for the successful 100th post, we promise to write more, serve better and reach your hearts, for this is food for art heart and thought!