INGREDIENTS:
For paruppu urundai:
- Toor dhal - 1 cup (1/2 cup bengal gram and 1/2 cup tur dal can also be used)
- Dry red chillies - 3 or 4
- Rice flour - 1 tablespoon
- Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
- Salt - as per taste
- Tamarind - lemon sized ball
- Sambhar powder - 1 1/2 tsp.
- Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
- Gingelly oil - 2 tsp.
- Hing
- Ghee - 1 tsp.
- Gingelly oil
- Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.
- Curry leaves - a sprig
For the urundais (balls):
- Soak toor dhal and red chillies in water for 1 hour. Drain the water completely and grind to a coarse paste with salt. Add rice flour, curry leaves, mix well and shape into small balls. Keep aside.
- Soak tamarind in 3 cups of water and extract juice from it.
- In a kadai, pour in the tamarind extract, salt, turmeric powder and hing. When it boils, add sambhar powder. Allow it to boil till the raw smell is diffused.
- When it starts boiling, 'simmer the stove' and add the balls (koftas) one by one gently.
- Now, cook in 'medium flame' until the balls float on top ( approx. 6-7 minutes). By this time, the tamarind water will also thicken.
- Transfer to a serving dish and temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves.
- Serve hot with rice.
VARIATIONS:
1. Scraped coconut can be added to the ground paste.
2. Onions slightly sauteed can be added to the ground mixture.