Andhra Pradesh and Telangana welcome Lord Ganesha with their special mouthwatering regional delicacies like Bobbatlu (a kind of puran poli), Undrallu (rice balls), Payasam, Palathalikalu (rice noodles kheer), Rava Kesari (semolina halwa).
Aruna Panangipally, who blogs on food and recipes at Ãhãram, shows you how to make the Andhra sweet Bellam Undrallu for Lord Ganesha.
A Mumbai-ite, she says, "I love cooking! For as long as I can remember, I have been collecting recipes and religiously trying them out."
Bellam Kudumulu, also known as Bellam Undrallu or Teepi Kudumulu, are sweet steamed rice flour discs or balls, are an essential naivedyam (offering) for Vinayaka Chavithi in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Photograph: Aruna Panangipally for Rediff
Bellam Undrallu
Serves: 9-10
Ingredients
- ½ cup rice flour
- ½ cup grated jaggery
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup grated coconut
- 1 tbsp chana dal or Bengal gram
- ¼ tsp green elaichi or cardamom powder
- ½ tsp ghee or oil for a vegan recipe
Method
- Soak the chana dal for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Drain and keep aside.
For the dough:
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the water and jaggery to a boil over medium heat, till the jaggery starts to dissolve.
Now add in the soaked and drained chana dal, and let it cook for 5-7 minutes till soft.
The chana dal should soften and break when pressed with your finger.
Turn the heat down to low.
Important: From now on cook on low heat.
Add the cardamom powder, ghee/oil, and mix well.
Now, add the grated coconut and mix well.
Finally add the rice flour and quickly mix well till the dough comes together as a ball.
- Transfer to a plate and let it cool for a couple of minutes.
Steaming the Bellam Kudumulu:
- Add a little water to a steamer/pressure cooker/idli cooker, and heat over medium heat.
- When the dough is still warm, with greased hands, shape it into a ball.
Now divide the dough into 21 equal balls of 1½ inch-diameter and shape each portion into a disc, or an oblong shape or leave as a ball.
- Place the shaped Bellam Kudmulus on a greased plate or idli stand, and place them in the pre-heated steamer.
Steam for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the to a plate and serve steaming hot.