Tamil Nadu Recipes

Ulundu or Ulunthu Kali – (Black Gram Porridge)

Posted on 16. Sep, 2012 by Uma in Breakfast

This is a semi solid sweet dish which can be consumed as a supplementary breakfast or as snack. ”Ulundu” or black gram being a legume is high in protein  and nutritious. Palm sugar is prepared from the juice of different kinds of palm trees like Coconuts, Date Palm etc. Palm sugar or Jaggery made from the Palmyra tree is used in this dish. Since it is not refined and prepared without much processing, it is a natural sweetener with many nutrients. Its sweetness and good flavor make “Ulundu kali” a tasty dish. It is considered a healthy food and prepared mainly in the Southern part of Tamil Nadu.

Servings:  8

Cooking Time:  2 hours

INGREDIENTS:

1. Split Black Gram : 3/4 Cup or 125 grams
2. Raw rice :  1 Cup or 175 grams
3. Black Jaggery (Palmyra – “karuppatti”) powdered : 3 Cups or 350 grams
4. Salt:  0.25 Teaspoon
5. Gingelly ( Sesame) Oil : 100 ml
6.  Water :  850  ml
7.  Coconut Grating: 1/4 Cup

 METHOD:

Using the Blender, get the rice and black gram  powdered separately to a coarse texture.  Add salt to the coarse flour along with 750 ml water and mix thoroughly without lumps.  Keep it aside for 1 1/2 hours.

Take the remaining 100 ml water in another vessel and  boil it  with powdered Jaggery. When the Jaggery has melted completely, remove from stove.  Use a sieve to remove the dirt.

Use a thick bottomed vessel with the rice, gram flour mixture and let it simmer over slow fire for 10 minutes. Stir it continuously until the batter becomes thick.  Then add the jaggery syrup and continue to stir for another 10 minutes till it becomes well cooked.  Oil can be added to the content now. When oil is absorbed completely, add the coconut gratings. Remove from the stove and  serve hot.

 TIPS:

Adding 1/2 inch piece of powdered dry ginger to the dish ( while cooking)  is optional.

This porridge can be eaten along with a teaspoon of gingelly oil or ghee (clarified butter).

A wooden ladle can be used to stir the batter constantly over slow flame without getting it burnt.

Related posts:

1. Pasi Paruppu Payasam – (Green Gram Dhal Kheer)