Mudde is a compact ball of dough made from finger millet. It is a lunchtime staple of rural communities in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in South India, and an important source of long-lasting energy among the rural poor. 2 1/2 cups ragi (finger millet) flour 5 cups water Ghee Procedure Boil the water and add a little of the flour to make a paste, then add the rest of the flour. Stir once with the handle of a wooden spoon and leave it in the pot. Keep on a low fire for about 10 minutes until it smells cooked. Stir until the mixture turns dark reddish-brown. Once it begins to leave the sides of the pot, remove the pot from the fire and stir vigorously for 5-10 minutes--it's hard work, but the longer you keep at it, the lighter it will be. Pull the dough out and form into balls of about fist size. Makes about 6 balls. Serving immediately is preferable, but the balls can also be packed and eaten cold later. Before eating, if desired, poke a hole in the ball with your finger and pour in a little ghee. Dip pieces of the ragi dough in a watery sauce like upeseru broth and swallow; do not attempt to chew. Eat along with the solid upeseru for a complete meal that will keep you going all day. www.mandya.org www.sakkare.com www.giftlam.com E=MAIL: premmdy@gmail.com

Upeseru is a rural speciality of the South of India, and villages around the state of Karnataka in particular. The main recipe is for a solid dish of lentils and greens, and the water drained from this is often used in an accompanying wet sauce to be eaten with mudde (ragi balls). The combination of the three is a common complete meal. Ingredients Solids 1 1/2 cups dhal or other lentils, cooked but not drained 5 handfuls of a leafy green such as spinach, chopped 2 teaspoons oil 1 teaspoon mustard seed 10 curry leaves 1 medium onion, diced 1-6 green chillies, split lengthwise, according to taste salt to taste Broth 1-6 green chillies, to taste 1/2 teaspoon fresh tamarind per chilli used handful of coriander 8 cloves garlic 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorn 2 teaspoons cumin spinach-lentil water 1/2 lemon Procedure Solids Fry the mustard seed, curry leaves, onion and green chillies in oil until the onions are partly browned. Meanwhile, set the lentils on the stove. Throw in the chopped spinach and bring to boil until the spinach is tender. Drain and set the water aside separately for the next recipe. Stir in the spice mixture and salt to taste, keeping on the flame until the flavours have blended. Broth Dry-roast the chillies and tamarind slightly, if desired. Grind all dry ingredients together with a little water to make chutney. Bring the spinach broth to a boil and let simmer for two minutes. When serving, mix in a spoonful of the chutney and squeeze in lemon juice.