Riceballs cooked in Spinach & Coconut Curry

Riceballs in Spinach and Coconut Curry is a Mangalore dish, known as Unde Bendhi.  This dish is prepared by cooking coarsely ground rice batter until it solidifies, then making small balls and steam cooking them. These steam cooked riceballs are again cooked in spinach and coconut curry. This can be served as breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

For Rice balls:

Par-boiled Rice  – 2 cups, soaked in water for 2-3 hours
Salt to taste
Water

For Spinach & Coconut Curry:

Spinach – 2 bunches
Onion – 2
Red Chili Powder – 1 teaspoon
Jaggery – 2 tablespoons (optional)
Salt – to taste
Tamarind Pulp – 1 tablespoon
Red Chilies – 6
Oil – 1 teaspoon
Coriander Seeds – 1 tablespoon
Black Gram/Urad Dal – 1 tablespoon
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 teaspoon

For Seasoning:

Oil – 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds – 2 teaspoons
Dry Red Chilies – 2
Curry Leaves – 7 to 8

For Aid:

Steaming Pot

Method:

1. Grind rice into coarse batter adding little water.
2. Take the rice batter in a thick bottomed pan, add water to get the batter of pouring consistency, about 3-4 cups. The batter must be close the consistency of whole milk.
3. Add salt to the batter.
4. Cook the batter on high flame stirring continuously until it forms a lump. Turn off the heat and the let the dough cool down.
5. Meanwhile thoroughly wash and chop spinach.
6. Halve the onions and cut each half into 6 pieces.
7. Heat water in a steaming pot.
8. Make small 1″ diameter sized riceballs from the prepared dough, place them in the steaming pot and cook for about 20 minutes.
9. In a large pan/pot, take chopped spinach, onion pieces, red chili powder, salt, salt, jaggery and tamarind pulp. Add  2 cups of water. Cook until the water comes to a boil.
10. Add steam cooked riceballs and let it cook on low flame for 8-10 minutes.
11. Meanwhile, heat 1/4 teaspoon oil in a small pan. Roast black gram, coriander seeds and dry red chilies separately on low flame. Black gram and coriander seeds must turn slightly brown and dry red chilies must turn crisp. Transfer the roasted ingredients into a blender. See Variation noted below.
12. Heat a small dry spoon on a flame, add turmeric powder, toss for 2-3 seconds. Transfer it into the blender.
13. Add coconut and 1/2 cup of water to the blender and blend until you get a smooth paste and add it to the cooking riceballs and spinach. Adjust the consistency of the curry by adding a little water if required.
14. Continue to cook the curry on low flame for another 10 minutes. Turn off the heat.
15. In a small pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds, dry red chillies and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds start spluttering, add this seasoning to the cooked curry.
16. Serve hot.