Kandi Unta Majjiga Pulusu | Steamed Toor dal Dumplings in Yogurt Gravy

I am back to blogging after a small break and would be visiting all your blogs shortly.I missed all your yummy posts and my reader is full of unread posts which I would like to cover in a couple of days.
Now coming to the recipe,this is a bit time consuming dish but it is still delicious to eat and also a very healthy one as the dumplings are steamed and no frying is involved.The tanginess from the yogurt based gravy is a great compliment to the protein packed steamed toor dal dumplings.One can have the steamed dumplings as it is as a snack or eat them in the yogurt gravy with rice.
Kandi Unta Majjiga Pulusu Recipe:
(Serves 3-4)

Ingredients:
for steamed toor dal dumplings:
1/2 cup Toor dal
1 cup finely chopped tender Drumstick leaves
1 medium Onion,finely chopped
1/2 cup grated Coconut
4-5 Green chillies
2 tbsp chopped Coriander
a sprig of Curry leaves,chopped
a fat pinch of cooking Soda
Salt to taste
Oil to grease the plates

for majjiga pulusu:
2 tbsp Toor dal,soaked
1 tsp Cumin seeds
3-4 Green chillies
1/2 cup grated fresh Coconut
1/2 tsp Tamarind pulp
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1 cup fresh/sour Curds
1/2 tsp Oil
Salt to taste

for Tadka:
1 tsp Oil/Ghee
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
a pinch of hing
8-10 curry leaves
2 red chillies,broken
Method:
for Toor dal dumplings:

• Soak toor dal in water for 2 hrs.
• Grind green chillies and salt to a coarse paste.Add soaked toor dal and grind it slightly coarsely.
• Add enough water while grinding the batter should be slightly thick(not very thin and not hard,it should be slightly looser than masala wada batter)
• Add grated fresh coconut, finely chopped onions,chopped coriander,curry leaves,chopped drumstick leaves to it and mix well.
• Grease a plate with oil or line the plate with banana leaf if available.
• Add a pinch of soda to the batter and mix it well and shape them into round dumplings and steam it for 12-15 mins.
  

for majjiga Pulusu:

• Soak toor dal in water for 1 hr.
• Heat 1/2 tsp oil and roast green chillies until they wilt.
• Grind the roasted green chillies with salt,jeera,soaked toor dal,grated coconut,turmeric powder and tamarind pulp to a fine paste.
• Thin the sour/fresh curds and add the ground paste and boil over low flame.
• once it comes to boil add steamed dumplings and boil for 3-4 mins.
• Meanwhile heat a small tadka pan and add oil/ghee and add mustard seeds,hing,curry leaves and red chillies and add this tadka to majjiga pulusu.

Serve this with rice or eat it in a cup as it is as a snack.

Notes:

1. The batter for dumplings should not be very thick or thin,it should be slightly looser than the masala wada batter to get soft dumplings otherwise if the batter is very thick you will get hard dumplings.
2. Adding soda will ensure that you get soft airy dumplings.

Variations:

1. Addition of drumstick leaves is optional,but it is very healthy and adds a nice flavor to it.If you don't get it just avoid it and proceed with the same recipe.
2. The steamed toor dal dumplings can be eaten as a snack but I prefer them in majjiga pulusu as it adds nice taste to it.
3. You can even crumble the steamed toor dal dumplings in rice and add ghee and eat or you can drop these dumplings in rasam or coconut based gravies for variation.I will post even that version soon in my blog.