Lipsmacking delicious traditional Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu recipe with step by step pictures. Kadalai Paruppu Urundai Kulambu is best with hot rice and a dollop of ghee!

After a while, I am sharing a delicious accompaniment for rice – Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu. Paruppu Urundai means Roundels made with Dal (specifically Kadalai paruppu - Chana Dal) and Kuzhambu means gravy/curry. So as the name suggests, this is a South Indian gravy recipe with cooked dal roundels/balls. My earliest memory of this dish is from my childhood days, when our beloved neighbor Priya aunty used to make it and gracious share 2-3 paruppu urundai along with the extremely fragrant kuzhambu. Those days, amma stuck to her traditional Telugu cooking as my grandparents were very particular with their meals. More than tasting the kuzhambu, I used to be so fascinated about the gravy being cooked in that tiny kitchen and on some days, she even let me stir it. What good, beautiful days those were!

This Paruppu Uruandai Kuzhambu recipe is yet another tribute to my growing up days and the multiple cultural and regional experiences I was fortunate to have, thanks to multi-linguistic neighborhood. Amma and I discussed about the recipe fairly deeply, before fixing on this version. I used Kadalai paruppu – chana dal to make the urundais – balls. The beauty of this unda kuzhambu (just as Priya aunty called it) is that there is no deep-frying involved. The dal is soaked in enough water, ground with other spices, mixed with onions and coriander leaves, rolled into balls and cooked in the gravy. This is as healthy as it gets, without compromising on the taste!

Let me talk about the base gravy of the Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu. It is somewhat similar to the kara kuzhambu that my mother-in-law makes – both tomatoes and tamarind are used. It is tangy but it is much needed, as the paruppu urundai soak and cook in the gravy, absorbing all the flavors. As the urundai cook, they float on top and the gravy automatically thickens. It makes the best accompaniment with hot rice and you don’t even need any other side dish! I served it with some potato fry and sago pappad – it was bliss on plate, nothing less.

How to make Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu –

Detailed step-wise picture recipe of making Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu –

Soak ⅓ cup Chana Dal and 2 Dried Red Chillies in enough water for 2 hours.

Drain off the water completely, add the chana dal and red chillies to a blender along with 3-4 Garlic Cloves, ½ teaspoon Fennel Seeds.

Grind into a coarse paste without adding any water.

Remove onto a bowl and add 1 medium onion finely chopped onions and few coriander leaves finely chopped. Mix well.

Add salt as needed and mix well again.

Divide the batter equally and make equal sized balls. Don’t roll the balls too tightly or too loose.

In a thick bottomed pan, heat 2 tablespoon gingelly oil/sesame oil. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds. As they splutter, add 8-10 garlic cloves and few fresh curry leaves.

Next add 2 medium onions finely chopped.

As they onions turn golden brown, add 1 medium tomato finely chopped.

When the tomatoes are cooked and turn mushy, add 1 tablespoon Sambar Powder and ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder.

Cook for 3-4 mins on low flame and then add 2 tablespoon Thick Tamarind Extract.

Add some water and cook the gravy for another 3-4 mins, letting the gravy come to a boil.

Now add about 2 cups of water, add salt as needed. Let it come to a boil.

As the gravy boils well, reduce the flame to low and gently drop the prepared urundai into it. Make sure all the balls are placed around the pan.

Keep it covered and cook on low flame for 12-15 mins. As the gravy boils slowly, the balls begin to float on top and this indicates that they are cooked.

Cook it further if the gravy requires thickening. As the oil oozes out from the edges, garnish with fresh coriander leaves and remove from heat.

Serve hot with rice and fryums along with other side dishes.

Note –

It is essential to keep the gravy boiling on low flame and cooking it on low flame after adding the balls, else they might break.
Adjust spices as per preference.

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