UNDAPPUTT- RICEBALLS STUFFED WITH PRAWNS FILLING

 Undapputt is one of the hundreds of delectable Malabar dishes. Its juicy filling mainly with prawns, makes the inside juicy and steamed rice dough makes it healthy. This is one of the options we go  for during Ramadhan fasts, when we feel we are over loaded with oily stuffs. This can be eaten as a snack as well as a dinner meal... You can say its Pathiri and prawns curry evolved. Doesnt it look like the bite size version of Pathiri and chemmeen curry? So true...

Malabar being part of Kerala, the land of coconut trees, this Malabari dish has coconut scraping in its inside and outside coating to enhance its taste. However, I omitted adding coconut scrapings to the filling, but did not fail to coat outside, fearing that, avoiding the coconut coating, may transform this dish from Undapputt to, not an Undapputt at all. And this was how I was always taught by my family and did not want to go against my family traditions.

Do you think curry leaves was more apt in the above image than those mint leaves? Well, It all stuck me now when this post is finally making way to the blog... But anyway those greens add more life to the whites.
Recipe here...
Ingredients -
For the filling:

• Prawns - 250 gms (de-shelled and de-veined)
• Chilli powder- 1 tsp
• Salt - 1/4 tsp
• Onion - 3 medium
• Ginger- Garlic paste- 1 tbsp
• Green chilly- 3
• Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
• Garam masala powder- 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves- a sprig
• Oil - 3 tbsp or more if you want
• Coconut scrapings - 1 tsp, to add to the filling
• Coconut scrapings- to coat outside

For the dough:

• Parboiled rice- 1 cup
• Rice powder- to add to the ground rice
• salt

Method:

• Boil water in a vessel. When it comes to rolling boil add the rice and off the flame. Depending on the rice, I boil in for few more seconds if the rice takes longer to cook. Or if it cooks easily, I off the flame immediately after adding the rice.
• After 2 hours when the rice gets fat, grind to a smooth paste. Add salt and and rice powder to form a smooth yet non sticky dough. Keep aside.
• Or you can simply make the dough with rice powder and water alone without including rice paste.. This way its lot easier only thing being rice powder gets finished soon and its less of flavor.

For the filling:

• Boil the prawns along with Chilli powder, salt and Turmeric powder in some water until its cooked and 3/4 th of the water dries up
• In a pan, saute onion along with curry leaves until soft and brown color.
• Add Ginger- Garlic paste, green chillies and saute for a while.
• Add turmeric powder and Garam masala powder and salt.
• Add the prawns with remaining water and add coconut scrapings  and cook until water dries off. But keep the filling still slightly wet. This will make the filling juicy.
• Now pinch off a small rice dough to the size of a small ball.
• Make a ball and press into your palms making room for the filling in the centre of the ball.
• Put a small quantity of filling, and close the ball, sealing the filling inside. 
• Roll the ball in the coconut scrapings.
• Repeat the same with remaining dough and filling. 
• Prepare some water in a steamer.
• And steam these balls with lid closed until the rice dough gets cooked.
• This will take about 15- 20 minutes.
• Off the flame and slightly keep open the lid for the steam to escape.
• Serve hot.