Simple, tasty, healthy, gluten-free, and protein-packed balls made with Dal. These steamed lentil balls can be served for breakfast or as an evening snack.
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Now that I have been blogging about food for the last three years, I have rediscovered some long-forgotten recipes that were either made by my mom or my grandma. Frankly speaking, this is what truly excites me as a food blogger. I think, if I ever summarize the recipes on this blog, I can confidently say that the majority of the recipes are passed down from generation (not just mine). There are recipes in here that may have probably never made it to any cookbook but will leave an ever-lasting impact on your palate once you make them. Dishes like these are extremely special and they need to be preserved and passed down. Our ancient food has so much science and logic in them that it makes them relevant even today. Such is the beauty of Indian food. Whenever I come across a traditional recipe that has so much relevance even today, I waste no time making it!
We all know how lentils have become an integral part of our diet today. Especially for vegan and vegetarian diets, lentils are the primary source of fiber and protein. Plus they are hearty and appetizing to taste. When I heard of this lentil recipe, I was super excited for multiple reasons. The hero ingredient was lentils, it was an innovative snack recipe, it was spicy and it was almost oil-free because the method of cooking used here is steaming. Step aside all the momos, idlis, dhoklas and muthiyas, spicy lentil balls are here! I had a South Indian friend visit us some time ago. While we got chatty over many things, eventually we landed upon the topic of food. We began exchanging recipes and then the conversation steered toward recipes that our grandmas made. While I reminisced about the Mysore Pak that my granny made, she fondly remembered this dish.
Nuchina Unde is what she called it. She began explaining the recipe sensing the puzzled look on my face. The name itself had got me intrigued but when I heard the recipe in detail, I was smiling from ear to ear. This dish is a winner and I just had to make it asap and I did make it the very next week. For the last couple of months, we prepare a weekly meal plan on our whiteboard. Here we chart out the dishes that we will consume through the day. My most difficult hour of the day is the evening slot. My cravings are at their peak and that is when I rummage through my pantry and by default pick up something that's unhealthy. To avoid this, nowadays I try to make a healthy snack, especially for evenings. While Savory Chickpea Flour & Mushroom Pancakes/Cheela is my go-to dish on most days but then it occurred to me that these spicy lentil balls will make a great nutritious snack idea to beat my cravings!
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How to make it
The spicy lentil balls recipe is so easy to make that I am sure that you will want to keep making it every week. I too have been making it regularly in my kitchen ever since I got hold of this recipe. I simply love the fact that this vegetarian recipe is super nutritious, has rich protein & fiber, and is supremely delicious! Here is what you need to do to make it at home. Soak chana dal lentils in water for 2 hours. Then drain the water and coarsely grind them into a dry crumbly paste. No need to add water. Take it off onto a bowl. Then in the same blender jar add grated coconut, green chillies, ginger paste, asafoetida (skip this one if you have a gluten allergy), salt, and turmeric powder. Blitz to make a dry paste similar to the lentil mixture. Transfer it to the bowl, add chopped cilantro, and mix it all together. Then, shape them into elongated balls by holding a palm full of this lentil mixture and rolling them in the palm. You will just need one palm to do this. Place them in a greased steamer tray/dhokla tray. I used an Idli Cooker for this recipe. Steam these lentil balls for 10-12 minutes. Serve them warm along with some coconut chutney, ketchup, or even green chutney. I enjoyed it as is though!
These lentil balls are delicious! Simple to make, few ingredients needed and the taste is amazing!
Here are some other healthy snacks that you can try - Chickpeas Sundal, Crispy Vegan Split Peas | Masaledar Chana Dal, Chickpea & Edamame Crispies, Moong Dal snack, Kale Adai | Kale & Lentil Savory Pancakes, Ragi & Kale Idli | Finger Millet & Kale Steamed Cakes and Spicy Garlic Almonds.
Recipe 📖
Spicy lentil balls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups chana dal
- 10-12 green chillies
- 1 cup grated coconut
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- pinch of asafoetida
- salt to taste
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Here is what you need to do to make it at home. Soak chana dal lentils in water for 2 hours. Then drain the water and coarsely grind them into a dry crumbly paste. No need to add water. Take it off onto a bowl. Then in the same blender jar add grated coconut, green chillies, ginger paste, asafoetida (skip this one if you have gluten allergy), salt and turmeric powder. Blitz to make a dry paste similar to the lentils mixture. Transfer it to the bowl, add chopped cilantro and mix it all together. Then, shape into elongated balls by holding a palm full of this lentils mixture and rolling in the palm. You will just need one palm to do this. Place them in a greased steamer tray/dhokla tray. I used an Idli Cooker for this recipe. Steam these lentil balls for 10-12 minutes. Serve them warm along with some coconut chutney, ketchup or even green chutney. I enjoyed it as is though!
Lawrence says
Looks delicious!! Is the grated coconut fresh coconut or can I use medium or fine coconut in the package?
Priya says
Yes you can use any coconut you have. But freshly grated tastes the best. 🙂
Avani Kamdar says
Super yum and filling! We gujjus make a similar dish out of toor dal but don't add coconut to it. Loved this variation. Will definitely make it again.
Priya says
Thank you. Will try the Gujrati recipe myself. 🙂