Thursday, July 7, 2011

Spicy Kuzhi Paniyaram - Chettinad cuisine

This is a simple technique to transform left-over idly/dosa batter into a lip-smacking evening snack that you'll eventually start making dosa batter with the intention of relishing these paniyarams


There is also a sweet version of paniyaram made with jaggery that can be prepared in a jiffy! I shall post it with pictures later.  These delicacies are originally from Chettinad cuisine, which is a specialty of Chettinad region in the state of Tamilnadu in South India.  Athirasam is also a very popular sweet that belongs to this cuisine.

Ingredients -


Onions - 1, medium sized, finely chopped
Green chillies - 2-3, cut finely
Curry leaves - a few
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
Channa dal - 1 1/2 teaspoon (This gives the crunchy effect)
Asafoetida powder - a pinch
Coriander leaves - a few
Grated coconut - (optional) - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Salt - 1/8 tsp (As idli/dosa batter already contains salt)

Method -


  • Heat oil in a pan. Allow mustard seeds to splutter.
  • Add urad dal, channa dal, curry leaves, onions, green chillies, asafoetida powder and fry for few minutes until all onions turn pinkish-to-golden brown.
  • Then mix all of this with the dosa batter. Add grated coconut also, if you like :)
  • Add fresh cilantro/coriander leaves to the mixture. Check for salt and adjust. 


      Batter is ready to be made into paniyarams



        • Heat the paniyaram pan and gently rub 2 drops of oil in each of the holes (kuzhi in Tamil).
        • Once it gets slightly hot, spoon batter into the holes and allow it to cook on medium flame.
        • Once you see the sides browning, turn them over to cook the other side too.
        • Slid 2 drops of oil into each hole, to get crispy paniyarams :)
        • Press a fork and see that the batter does not stick to the fork while taking it out. That's an indication that it's actually well-cooked within.


                  Spicy Kuzhi paniyaram before getting fully crispy

                  Tip : It is essential that you wait patiently and cook this on medium flame, else the paniyarams will turn black on the exterior without getting cooked inside.

                  Crispy Paniyarams with Tomato Thokku

                  Serve hot with any chutney :) Vegetable chutney or Tomato Thokku tastes awesome with these spicy, crispy balls

                  I was too lazy to make more than 2 rounds (14 paniyarams), so I made uthappams using the same batter :) Tasted yummy! :)

                  Uthappam from Paniyaram batter
                  Serve these with sambar and/or any kind of chutney.


                  4 comments:

                  1. wow picture itself looks very inviting :))

                    ReplyDelete
                  2. Hey Divya!!

                    Great job!! I really am a big fan of your writings on food and its prep! Wats more interesting is the pics showing step by step procedures. Great going! Hope you continue writing and come up with a unique cook book someday!

                    Regards,
                    Chaitan

                    ReplyDelete
                  3. Thanks, Chaitan, for your motivating words :) Do let me know if you're looking for something specific (Eg, quick cooking or with less ingredients, or a particular category like appetizers, desserts, etc) and I shall try to post some recipes accordingly :)Thanks, again, for taking time to give feedback :)

                    ReplyDelete

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