Pundi

Steamed rice dumplings — rice soaked overnight, drained, and ground into a coarse, slightly textured batter with water, seasoned with salt, then spooned into small moulds or patted by hand into round dumplings and steamed until set. Pundi are the Saraswat equivalent of idli — plainer, coarser in texture, and more filling; eaten for breakfast or as a light meal with coconut chutney, dal, or the previous night's fish curry. The name means 'round' in Konkani; making pundi requires no fermentation, just overnight soaking, making it faster to prepare than idli. A daily breakfast preparation across Saraswat, Havyaka Brahmin, and Tulu-speaking communities of coastal Karnataka and Goa.