In our region, we consider both to be the same except the size, while people in some regions of andhra say that kudumulu are stuffed with poornam like Modak or modakam and steamed but can be of any shape. You can find the recipe of poornam kudumulu here.

What are Kudumulu?

Kudumulu are steamed rice balls made of rice flour or rava. There are 2 different versions of making these – sweet and savory (salted). You can find the recipes of sweet version called as Teepi or bellam kudumulu here. The salted version is also called as uppu kudumulu which i am sharing in this post. To make undrallu , homemade rice rava works best and is apt to make it fresh at home since these are made to offer to Lord Ganesha. You can check this detailed post on how to make rice rava for undrallu. These can be made using chana dal or toor dal or alasandalu (black eyed peas). Very simple and easy to prepare and are absolutely healthy as they are steamed. I have tried this recipe with store bought rice flour. They turned out good, but not as tasty as the one made with homemade rice flour or rava. If you do not have enough time to make your own rava at home, then you can use store bought flour but the quantity of water to use varies. Make sure you stick on to the quantity mentioned in the recipe card. The taste and texture of undrallu depends on the kind of rice used. Preferred one is aged rice, at least an yr old. But rice from the new harvest too is ok, but reduce the quantity of water by ¼ cup. But they tend to be sticky and a bit hard. So to prevent that I always use aged rice. In case you do not know the age of the rice, just go for the Aged Basmati Rice (will be written on the pack clearly). This kind of rice is easily available in most parts of the world. Aged Sona Masuri is another best choice. More Vinayaka Chavithi Recipes hereGanesh Chaturthi Recipes34 Ladoo recipes

Make Rice Rava

  1. Wash 1 cup rice several times, drain off the rice in a colander. You can also soak the rice for 2 hours and use. Soaking helps to blend the rice easily.
  2. Sun dry or fan dry rice on a cloth till completely dry.
  3. Blend it in a dry mixer jar to a texture slightly coarse. Make sure rice rava is moisture free before you proceed. 1 cup rice will yield you more than 1 cup rava. For the recipe we need only 1 cup rava. So measure it and set aside. Store the excess in air tight jar and use up when you make punugulu.

Preparation for Kudumulu

  1. Wash and soak a handful of chana dal / senaga pappu for 15 to 20 minutes. To speed up, you can also soak in hot water for 10 minutes and use.
  2. Add ghee to a hot heavy bottom pot. When the ghee melts, add the cumin seeds if using. I did not use here.
  3. Drain off the water from dal completely and add to the ghee. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes until it turns fragrant.
  4. I used 2 cups of water and salt. Please refer notes for more details on water.
  5. Bring it to a boil.
  6. Reduce the flame to medium. Measure 1 cup rava. Pour it slowly with one hand and keep stirring with the other to prevent lumps.
  7. Simmer the flame. Keep stirring and cook.
  8. You can cook covered as it begins to splash a lot.
  9. When the entire water evaporates. Open the lid.
  10. Mix well to prevent burning. Keep covered and leave it on the stove top covered for at least 5 to 15 mins depending on the age of your rice. For aged rice, you might need to leave for 15 minutes.
  11. Transfer this to a wide plate and cool. When it reaches to a temperature you can handle, knead the dough once.

How to make kudumulu

  1. Meanwhile place a steamer on stove with enough water to steam the balls, you can use a pressure pan or a cooker (without whistle) or a idli steamer or any kind of steamer.
  2. Dip your fingers in water and take small portions of the mixture. Make small balls and place them in a wide utensil.
  3. Once the water in the steamer starts boiling, place this utensil and steam them exactly for 8 minutes on a high flame. If using a large pressure cooker, you can steam for 10 minutes. Do not over steam else they will become hard. Cool them completely and offer to Lord Ganesha or Lakshmi. Related Recipes

Recipe Card