Easy Bellam Undrallu Recipe: Vinayaka Chavithi Recipes
Bellam Undrallu or Bellam Kudumulu is one of the traditional South Indian recipes. Its main ingredients are semolina, coconut and jaggery, both of which are rich in nutrients.
In order to give a rich experience, I have added both jaggery and sugar at equal proportions. Semolina is cooked like gooey mass and cooled down to make small laddus or undrallu. These balls are then cooked further in jaggery syrup.
Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival of food and masti during 11-day celebrations. Usually, it is celebrated in Bhadrapada masa, the 4th day of Hindu lunar calendar. Although this is a food festival, I recommend you to focus on nutritional recipes.
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Tips to make a perfect Bellam Undrallu Recipe:
Use Fresh Rice Flour
Fresh rice flour provides the best result for the dumplings to become soft and tender. There are two ways of using fresh rice flour: one is purchasing them from the stores and the other is making them in the house by grinding raw rice into fine powder, then sieving them.
Lightly Roast the Rice Flour
Roast the rice flour lightly at low heat before preparing the dough. This makes the taste exquisite and not raw at all when you have finished preparing it. Roast only when there is an aroma but the flour doesn’t brown at all.
Elaborate Properly Jaggery
This recipe requires clean quality jaggery. Dissolve the jaggery in a little water and boil it. If there are impurities, then strain to clean the syrup.
Water Ratio of Dough
The ideal proportion is said to be 1 cup of rice flour and about 1 cup of water. Add rice flour in water after boiling the latter for smooth dough. This process of boiling water helps in well-cooked rice flour to have soft texture for the undrallu.
Cook the Dough Properly
Gradually add rice flour to the boiling water and stir well to prevent lumps. Once the mixture thickens up and forms smooth dough, it is ready. Be sure to cook it until it is not raw.
Adding Coconut for Flavor and Texture
Adding the freshly grated coconut will also give a delicious flavor to Bellam Undrallu. Mix it up with the dough along with jaggery syrup to obtain rich, traditional taste.
Let the dough be cooled a little before the formation process.
Let the boiled dough cool a little to hold shape for small, smooth dumplings. If it is too hot, it’ll be hard to handle; if it cools down too much, then it might get stiff. Warm dough is ideal for shaping.
Grease hands with ghee for smooth dumplings
Dip your palms lightly in ghee and shape the dough. Grease will not allow the dough to stick in your palm but also adds some flavor with softness to your dumplings.
Steam them for softening
Steaming the dumplings is crucial for the final texture. Put the shaped dumplings in a steamer or idli cooker and steam on medium heat for around 10 to 12 minutes. Overcooking makes them hard, so check they are just cooked through.
Adding Cardamom for Aroma
Adding cardamom powder to the mixture or dough with jaggery will give a wonderful aroma to the Bellam Undrallu. Cardamom complemented the sweetness of jaggery and the mild taste of rice flour, enhancing overall flavor.
Check for Doneness Carefully
Dumplings are slightly shiny and firm when steamed. Remove from the steamer and cool a bit, as they will set a bit as they cool.
Bellam Undrallu or Bellam Kudumulu – Vinayaka Chavithi Naivedyam
Bellam Undrallu or Bellam Kudumulu is one of the famous Vinayaka Chavithi Naivedyams.
Ingredients
- Semolina/ wheat rava – 2 cups.
- Green cardamom – 17 no. roasted
- Jaggery/ Bellam – 1 cup
- Finely sliced fresh coconut – 1 ½ cups.
- Sugar – 1 cup
- Ghee – 1 tbsp.
- Salt – 1 tbsp.
- Water – required quantity
Instructions
First, make cardamom powder by adding green cardamom and 2 tbsp. sugar.
Boil 3 glass water and add salt, sugar and coconut pieces.
Cook for a minute and add cardamom powder.
Add wheat rava gently by stirring continuously.
Cook for a while on low flame till it thickens.
Off the flame and let this mixture cool.
Once above mix is cooled, make small balls by greasing your hands with ghee, keep aside.
Tip: You can even put semolina lump in a ghee greased plate.
Boil glass full of water and add jaggery to it.
Add coconut pieces and little cardamom powder and cook for a while.
Add semolina balls and cook further till you get a thick gravy.
At last, add little more cardamom powder to enhance flavor and mix well.
Serve Bellam undrallu recipe when they are cooled.
Recipe Video
How to Make Bellam undrallu or Bellam Kudumulu Recipe:
- In a mixer, add green cardamom and sugar. Grind to a soft powder.
- In a vessel, boil 3 glasses of water (approx. 750 ml.)
- Add sugar, salt and coconut pieces. Add cardamom powder and cook for a minute with the lid covered.
- Add semolina or wheat rava by stirring continuously.
Note: Make sure that there is no formation of lumps.
- Grease steel plate with ghee.
- Put a small lump of semolina on a steel plate.
- Make small balls of 1-inch size by greasing your hands with ghee and keep them aside.
- In a separate vessel, add a glass full of water and jaggery to make jaggery syrup.
- Once the syrup starts boiling add remaining coconut pieces and cardamom powder.
- Cook for a while and add semolina balls.
Tip: There is no rule for jaggery consistency. Once the jaggery becomes sticky, add semolina balls.
- When you get a thick consistency, before removing from the flame, sprinkle cardamom powder and mix well.
- Serve Bellam Undrallu once they are cooled.
