Video guide for kuzhi paniyaram or gunta ponganalu

Fermentation time: 8 hours

Preparation time: 10 minutes 

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves: 25 

Ingredients

1 cup raw rice (idli rice or parboiled rice)

¼ cup black gram

¼ tsp fenugreek seeds

½ cup flattened rice

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 green chilli (chopped)

1 onion (medium-sized, chopped)

1 ½ tsp ginger (finely chopped)

1 spring of curry leaves (chopped)

1 tsp of coriander leaves (chopped)

1 pinch of asafoetida

2 tsp black gram for tempering

Sesame oil

Method 

Step: 1

Wash and soak the rice, black gram and fenugreek seeds together for about 4 hours.

Step: 2

Soak the flattened rice for 10 minutes.

Step: 3

Drain the water from the soaked mixture and grind to a smooth, fluffy batter.

Step: 4

Mix the batter for about 2 minutes to incorporate air bubbles.

Step: 5

Cover and keep the batter overnight or for about 8 hours to ferment.

Step: 6

Add salt and mix gently.

Step: 7

Heat 2 tablespoons of sesame oil in a pan. Splutter the mustard seeds. Then add black gram and sauté it till it becomes light brown. Also add chopped onion, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves, salt, and a pinch of asafoetida. Sauté well over a medium flame till the onion becomes translucent. Finally, add the chopped coriander leaves and then turn off the flame.

Step: 8

Add the sautéed ingredients to the batter and mix well. Kuzhi Paniyaram batter is ready to be cooked now.

Step: 9

Heat the paniyaram pan and drop ½ teaspoon of sesame oil in each cavity.

Step: 10

Pour the paniyaram batter into each cavity, up to three fourth level of the volume.

Step: 11

Cover and cook on low to medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes. Regulate the heat as needed, depending upon the make of the pan.

Step: 12

When one side is done, flip it over carefully with a wooden skewer or spoon and let the other side also cook well.

Finally, take out from the pan. Serve kuzhi paniyaram hot with coconut chutney, idli podi (dry roasted coconut chutney powder), onion chutney, or tomato chutney.

Notes:

Make sure to use a well-seasoned paniyaram pan, or else the batter will stick.

Preferably use sesame oil or ghee (clarified butter).

Even leftover dosa batter can be used to make this dish.

Recipe courtesy: Sobha Varghese is a homemaker based in Mumbai, India. Sobha runs a popular YouTube blog called ‘Sobha's Kitchenette’ that focuses on authentic and traditional Kerala recipes.

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