For those of you who don't know what Mudde is, it is a traditional Karnataka meal. It is made with ragi and is a high source of vitamins and good for health. A lot of families in south Karnataka eat this everyday. Mudde is a staple dinner in my house. I used to watch my mom make it and learnt it from her. Initially when I started making it, it was not at all good and had knots. Naturally with practice I got better.
To be honest, the process of making mudde is easy. It requires only two ingredients ragi powder and water. The process is to boil water, add ragi powder to it, and keep stirring it until it becomes a dough like consistency. Then you can shape it into balls and serve it with sambar. Some people also eat it with ghee. It is a very filling meal and keeps you full for a long time.
Now you might be wondering what is the big deal about making this dish if it is so easy? Right, it is not that hard, and with practice everyone can make it.Then, what is the skill that I have picked up over others?
- I can make it with three types of consistency: soft, medium and hard.
- The ideal time to make mudde is 20–25 mins. I can also make it in 10 mins (only if I am in a hurry).
- I can tell by looking at the dough if it needs to be cooked more or if it is done.
But most importantly, I learnt something more important. Even though I have been making it for a long time, it does not mean the process is always smooth and perfect. I make mistakes too sometimes I add too much water, sometimes too much ragi powder, sometimes it becomes lumpy, sometimes I overcook it and it becomes hard. If you rush it, it will not turn out well.
The most important thing is that no matter what the mistake is, I have learnt to recover from it and get it to a good state. This is an attitude that I started inculcating the goal is not to be perfect but to be able to recover from mistakes. This blog is not about how to make mudde; it is about an important lesson it taught me. I have been making mudde for the past 5 years and I have got good at it. Overall, I think mudde is a delicious and healthy meal that everyone should try at least once.