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Nuchinunde
Steamed dal and dill dumplings
ನುಚ್ಚಿನುಂಡೆ: steamed dumplings of coarsely ground toor and chana dal with dill and coconut (plus 3 hours soaking)
Nuchinunde are steamed lentil dumplings from old Mysuru and Bengaluru homes, made for breakfast or an evening tiffin and often offered for Ganesha Chaturthi. Toor and chana dal are ground coarse with green chilli and ginger, mixed with fresh dill (sabsige soppu), coconut and curry leaves, shaped into ovals and steamed, so they come out soft but crumbly, herby and protein-rich with no oil. A common mistake is grinding the dal to a paste; it should stay grainy like coarse semolina or the dumplings turn rubbery. Chef's tip: drain the soaked dal for a full 15 minutes; extra water makes the mix too loose to hold its shape.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 ½ oz toor dalsoaked 3 hours
- 3 ½ oz chana dalsoaked 3 hours
- ¾ in ginger
- 1 ⅜ oz fresh dill (sabsige soppu)finely chopped
- 1 ⅜ oz fresh grated coconut
- 10 curry leaveschopped
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
- 1 tsp salt
To serve
- 1 tbsp coconut oilfor drizzling
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Method
0/6 doneStep 2: Pulse with 3 green chillies and ¾ in ginger, without water, to a coarse, grainy mix; scrape down often and stop before it turns pasty.
4 minStep 3: Mix in 1 ⅜ oz fresh dill (sabsige soppu), 1 ⅜ oz fresh grated coconut, 10 curry leaves, 2 tbsp fresh coriander, ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida (hing) and 1 tsp salt. Squeeze a handful; it should hold together.
3 minStep 4: Shape into 12 ovals, pressing them firmly in your fist so the finger marks show.
6 minStep 5: Steam on a greased plate over boiling water for 15–18 minutes, until firm and a knife comes out clean.
18 minStep 6: Drizzle with 1 tbsp coconut oil and serve warm with coconut chutney or a thin mor kuzhambu.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does nuchinunde take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of toor dal?
- Red lentils (masoor dal) (cook 10 minutes less).
- What can I use instead of curry leaves?
- Leave them out, or add a strip of lime zest (there's no true substitute).
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