Coconut - wonder ever if it is a nut, fruit or a seed?  It is all the three when using it in a loose definition.  But, today I learnt a new word DRUPE! Did you know ? Botanically speaking a coconut is a fibrous one-seeded drupe, also known as a dry drupe.  Interesting isn't it?

''A drupe is a fruit with a hard stony covering enclosing the seed (like a peach or olive) and comes from the word drupa meaning overripe olive. A coconut and all drupes have three layers:  the exocarp (outer' layer), the mesocarp (fleshy middle layer), and the endocarp (hard, woody layer that surrounds the seed).''

I only know something about coconut that it is a 'Tree of life' in very simple words - A tree which is useful from head to toe and beyond.  Every bit of the coconut tree is used.  We have come to know with loads of facts and figures that the benefit of coconut is very high.  In Ayurveda, it is said that it is good for people with pitta and Vata dosha. People with Kapha dosha can also use but in limits.  I won't go too detail about it, as I am not an Ayurvedic doctor but I have just heard these things from my sister who is an Ayurvedic doctor. Coconut is a  gluten-free product!, These days you get coconut flour which can be used in lots of recipes.  It is alkaline food high in saturated fat and fiber.  It also contains protein and some important minerals such as calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium.  Due to its high fat content, it is low GI and will decrease the overall GI of any meal when added.

I love coconut rice so much I keep making it often.  Do try out and tell me if you like it.  Here's how I make it.

SIMPLE COCONUT RICE:
Recipe Author: Jayasri
Cuisine Type: Indian
Course: Main
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Food Type: Rice Recipes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
2.5 Cup cooked rice (Sona Masoori)
3 to 4 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tbsp Channa dal
1 ½ tbsp Urad dal
1 sprig curry leaf (12 to 15)
4 to 5 Green chillies
Pinch of Hing
1 fistful of peanuts
2 tbsp Broken Cashewnuts
Salt as required
Few sprigs of coriander leaves

Method:

1. Cook the rice first, I usually use 2 cups of rice to this I use 4.5 to 5 cups of water. This depends on the rice you use, to make this kind of rice specialties I usually cook the rice al dente or cook slightly softer.  But, don’t make it too soft as it will spoil making any kind of rice variety.
2. Once the rice is cooked and then the pressure is released spread it on a plate so the rice grains do not stick with each other.
3. Meanwhile, in a wok add 2 tbsp of Ghee or Coconut Oil add freshly grated coconut and in a low to medium flame fry coconut until it changes to golden brown colour. Once done keep it aside until needed.
4. Next heat oil in a wok, once it’s hot add tsp of mustard seeds, once it splutters add peanuts and fry it, it changes colour now add slit green chillies it turns slightly white in colour.
5. Now add chana dal and urad dal they also change colour add tsp of cumin and curry leaves with a pinch of Hing.
6. Add required amount of salt and the roasted coconut into the wok with chopped coriander leaves and cooked cooled rice, mix all the ingredients until well combined.
7. Close the lid for 5 minutes in a low flame so the rice absorbs all the spices. Switch off the stove and serve it.
8. You don’t need anything to go with it, may be with some poppadums’ probably.

Coconut Masala Rice

Ingredients:
Same ingredients as above plus a masala powder to go with the above said ingredients. Except reduce the green chillies to 2 to 3.

Masala Powder:
1 ½ tbsp Urad dal
4 to 5 Byadgi chillies
½ tsp Pepper corns
1 tsp of white til seeds
3 tbsp of dry copra
1 tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp Oil

Method:

1. In a wok heat oil in a low flame add pepper corns, urad dal, Byadgi chillies and white Til seeds and fry 2 to 3 minutes until they all change colour to this add turmeric and dry copra and fry for another 2 to 3 minutes until the copra changes golden brown.
2. Once done transfer it to a plate to cool down.
3. Once it’s cool grind it to a powder.
4. Make the rice as said above exactly but, add this powder in step 6 with other ingredients mix well until well combined.
5. Serve this with poppadum.

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Coconut Rice (two ways)

Most flavourful and aromatic rice

Course Main

Cuisine South Indian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Jayasri

Ingredients

• Ingredients:
• 2.5 Cup cooked rice Sona Masoori
• 3 to 4 tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp Channa dal
• 1 ½ tbsp Urad dal
• 1 sprig curry leaf 12 to 15
• 4 to 5 Green chillies
• Pinch of Hing
• 1 fistful of peanuts
• 2 tbsp Broken Cashewnuts
• Salt as required
• Few sprigs of coriander leaves
• Masala for Coconut Masala rice
• Masala Powder:
• 1 ½ tbsp Urad dal
• 4 to 5 Byadgi chillies
• ½ tsp Pepper corns
• 1 tsp of white til seeds
• 3 tbsp of dry copra
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp Oil

Instructions

• For the Simple Coconut Rice
• Cook the rice first, I usually use 2 cups of rice to this I use 4.5 to 5 cups of water. This depends on the rice you use, to make this kind of rice specialties I usually cook the rice al dente or cook slightly softer. But, don’t make it too soft as it will spoil making any kind of rice variety.
• Once the rice is cooked and then the pressure is released spread it on a plate so the rice grains do not stick with each other.
• Meanwhile, in a wok add 2 tbsp of Ghee or Coconut Oil add freshly grated coconut and in a low to medium flame fry coconut until it changes to golden brown colour. Once done keep it aside until needed.
• Next heat oil in a wok, once it’s hot add tsp of mustard seeds, once it splutters add peanuts and fry it, it changes colour now add slit green chillies it turns slightly white in colour.
• Now add chana dal and urad dal they also change colour add tsp of cumin and curry leaves with a pinch of Hing.
• Add required amount of salt and the roasted coconut into the wok with chopped coriander leaves and cooked cooled rice, mix all the ingredients until well combined.
• Close the lid for 5 minutes in a low flame so the rice absorbs all the spices. Switch off the stove and serve it.
• You don’t need anything to go with it, may be with some poppadums’ probably.
• For Masala coconut rice:
• Ingredients:
• Same ingredients as above plus a masala powder to go with the above said ingredients. Except reduce the green chillies to 2 to 3.
• In a wok heat oil in a low flame add pepper corns, urad dal, Byadgi chillies and white Til seeds and fry 2 to 3 minutes until they all change colour to this add turmeric and dry copra and fry for another 2 to 3 minutes until the copra changes golden brown.
• Once done transfer it to a plate to cool down.
• Once it’s cool grind it to a powder.

The post Coconut Rice (two ways) appeared first on My Veg Fare.

It is also called Unde Huli! Nucchinunde always brings me a lot of old memories,  my memories are always entwined with my Maternal aunt (my periamma) but not with my grandmother!!   This is something you cannot find in a restaurant it is just purely Homemade.  Sometimes Amma (mom) would make it for our after school snack.

I customorly make it during Neeru thumba habba during Diwali, the first day of Deepavali with sweet kozhukottai which is a tradition I follow from my Ajji!

Wonder why is it called Nuchina unde?

It is very simple in Kannada Nucchu means Broken and  Unde means Ball.  Nucchu (Broken) can be of anything !!.

Why another name Unde Huli then?

This spicy ball is also used in making Majjige Huli (spicy Yogurt gravy) and can also be added in Khuzmbu/sambar.  It is a very delicious dumpling.

when can we eat this? 

You can have it for breakfast /Lunch / Dinner, highly nutritious and protein-packed as well, You can even send it in Lunchboxes what more can you ask for :).

How can we eat this?

You can just eat it without any sides or you can make coconut chutney to go with it, also with any kind of tart plain gojju, I will post the recipe soon. I just love munching on it, without any sides.

Do we have to use the same measurements?

It is very versatile you can change the ingredients your liking, I usually mix all the three dals.  It is usually made with more Tuvar dal and less channa dal, urad dal, and moong dal is not used! But, I love using all of them to make it more nutritious.

What else can we add not add to this recipe?

You can add different greens here I have used Dill and Ponnanganni keerai (Sessile Joyweed).  Dill leaves are the commonly used you can also use mint, fenugreek, coriander and also can use chopped Onions with coriander and curry leaves, Now with all the things I have told you definitely know this is going to be very tasty.
So, it means you can add all these! don't add spinach, amaranth those kind of greens.

Is it healthy?
Off course it is highly nutritious and a completely protein packed food.  Here we are using... Legumes / pulses / Lentils
1. Toor / Tuvar / piegeon pea - split Piegeon peas is a yellow lentil
2. Channa Dal / Bengal gram Dal - split black chickpeas that have skin removed
3. Urad Dal
4. Moong Dal / Yellow gram Dal - split green gram

This recipe is :
#Vegan and Gluten free
# Can be served as a starter
# fasting ( farsan) recipe
# Party or tea time snack
# Pantry staple ingredients

Nuchinunde (Steamed Lentil Dumplings)

Cuisine : Indian
Recipe Author : Jayasri
Recipe Type: Breakfast/ Lunch
Prep Time : Soak time (3 to 4 Hrs) and 30 minutes
Cook Time : 15 minutes
Shelf Time : one-day

Ingredients:
Tuvar Dal 1 Cup
Channa Dal 1/3 cup
Urad Dal 1/4 cup
Moong Dal 1/4 cup
Dill leaves 1/4 bunch ( around 1/2 cup)
OR
Ponnangani Keerai ( around 1/2 cup)
few sprigs of coriander leaf
one sprig of curry leaves
one inch Ginger
6 to 7 Green chillies
salt to taste
Asafoetida / Hing 1/8 tsp
Chopped coconut pieces

Method:

Wash and soak all the Dals. You can soak the dals separately or together for at least 2 to 3 hours.

Once soaked drain all the dals for some 10  to 20 minutes so there is no water left.

Clean all the greens thoroughly with water 3 to 4 times so, there is no impurities left, chop them up finely.   Green chilies and ginger as well.

Grind the Dals in a mixer coarsely with green chilies and ginger and a little coconut.   Grinding Dals properly is very important don't forget they need to grinded COARSELY they should be grinded as we do for Ambode ( Chatambade / channa dal vada)

Check my NOTES FOR MY TIPS

In a large bowl take the coarsely ground dal with the chopped greens, salt and Hing.
Mix them all together with some more chopped coconuts.
Make small oval-shaped balls out of it and steam them in an Idli cooker or place them on Idli moulds and steam in a cooker for 15 minutes without the weight in a medium flame.

Once done take them out serve them with coconut chutney or with a dollop of ghee.

Notes:
Don't forget, to grind the Dals coarsely. I usually take little quantity of the dals grind then first with green chillies, ginger and coconut to a paste, take it out and grind the dals in 2 to 3 parts in little pulses like a quick turn of the knob  2 to 3 times in my Mixie Jar which grinds to a corase consistency that way!
When making for festivals make as said in the recipe above you can omit Onions, garlic and Ponnangani Keerai.
You can just add coriander, curry leaves, and coconut without any other greens
You can also add chopped veggies to make it more inviting for kids!!
You can add onions, garlic, ginger, coriander and curry leaves.

Nuchiunde is made with only Tuvar Dal. But you can always use any dals in different variations.

You can add this in Majjige Huli ( Yogurt gravy) or in Sambhar and call it Unde Huli (Parup Urandai sambar), which is dumpling in Sambhar.

Hope you enjoy making this for the festival...

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Nuchinunde ( Undehuli) - Steamed Lentil Dumplings / Vegan and Gluten Free

A very healthy and nutritious, protein packed steamed Lentil dumplings which are spicy and tasty with loads of flavours

Course Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 18

Author Jayasri

Ingredients

• Tuvar Dal 1 Cup
• Channa Dal 1/3 cup
• Urad Dal 1/4 cup
• Moon Dal 1/4 cup
• Dill leaves 1/4 bunch around 1/2 cup
• OR
• Ponnangani Keerai around 1/2 cup
• few sprigs of coriander leaves
• one sprig of curry leaves
• one inch Ginger
• 6 to 7 Green chillies
• salt to taste
• Asafoetida / Hing 1/8 tsp
• Chopped coconut pieces

Instructions

• Wash and soak all the Dals. Drain all the dals for some 10 minutes so there is no water, Clean all the greens chop them up, green chillies and ginger as well.
• Grind the Dals in a mixer coarsely with green chillies and ginger and little coconut.
• In a large bowl take the coarsely ground dal with the chopped greens, salt and Hing.
• Mix them all together with some more chopped coconuts.
• Make small oval shaped balls out of it and steam them in a Idli cooker or place them on Idli moulds and steam in a cooker for 15 minutes without the weight in a medium flame.
• Once done take them out serve it with coconut chutney or with a dollop of ghee.

Notes

Notes:
When making for festivals make as said in the recipe above you can omit Ponnangani Keerai.
You can just add coriander, curry leaves and coconut.
You can also add chopped veggies make it more inviting for kids!!
Don't forget, grind the Dals coarsely.
Usually Nuchiunde is made with only Tuvar Dal. But you can always use any dals in different variations.

You can add this in Majji ge Huli ( Yogurt gravy) or in Sambhar and call it Unde Huli, that is dumpling in Sambhar.

The post Nuchinunde ( Undehuli) - Steamed Lentil Dumplings / Vegan and Gluten Free appeared first on My Veg Fare.