Kuzhi Paniyaram

This is one of my favorite snacks from Chettinad cuisine. This can be made both salty and sweet. Kuzhi Paniyaram is known by various names in Southern India, including paddu, appe, guliappa, gulittu, and gundponglu, ponganalu, and gunta pongadalu. I will give you my version of Kuzhi Paniyaram.

  

The above picture is a non-stick skillet (Appam Chatti - in Tamil) can be easily found here in US as pancake puff skillet from Amazon or from Bed Bath & Beyond and sometimes can be found in Indian stores too.

Ingredients for grinding

Idly rice                                 1 cup

Raw rice                                1 cup

Urdu dhal                            1/4 cup

Fenugreek seed                    1 table spoon
Aval                                    1tbsp 

Salt to taste

Method for Batter

Soak all the five together for 2 to 3 hours and grind nicely .Mix it with very little salt and ferment for 8 hours.

Masalas:

Grated coconut                       2 tbsp

Green Chilies                         5 no
Jalapenos                              1 no ( optional)

Chopped Curry leaves              2 tbsp.

Finely Chopped Ginger              3 tsp.

Oil                                         4 tbsp.(Oil to pour into the moulds)

Method for Paniyaram

• Chop green chilies and ginger into finely.  Keep aside.
• Check for the sourness in the batter. If it too sour, add salt as required, and if it too thick, add little water to make it to dosa batter consistency.
• Add all  above masala items in it and mix well.
• Take the Kuzhi Paniyaram skillet, on medium heat; add 1/2 tsp. oil in each hole. (Don’t keep the stove in high flame).
• When hot, add the batter, pour few drops of oil on top and close the skillet with lid. This helps Paniyaram to cook well inside-out. After 2-3 mins, take out the lid and check if the sides have become light brown.  If not, place the lid back and let it cook for some more time.
• When you feel it is cooked underneath turn it upside down with a long needle like thing or with the stick provided. Allow the other side also to cook well.
• Take it out of kadai when it comes to light brown in color.
• This kuzhi paniyaram tastes excellent with Thakkali thuvayal and coconut  chutney.

Tip:   you can add grated carrots in the batter.

Thenga Manga Pattani Sundal (Coconut, Raw mango, White peas sundal)

Sundal is a tasty snack prepared with soaked and boiled legumes with seasoning.  It is simple, healthy and is more like a salad. 

Ingredients:

Dried white Peas                             - 1 cup

Chopped Raw Mango                       – ½ cup

Grated Coconut                                3 tbsp

Grated Ginger                                   – 3 tsp

Turmeric powder                             – generous pinch
Lemon juice -                                 1 tsp(optional)

Salt                                                 – as per taste

Dry roast and powdered coarsely

Red chili                                             – 2 no

Coriander seed                                 – 1 table spoon

Bengal gram                                        – 1 table spoon

For seasoning

Oil                                             – 1 tea spoon

Mustard                                       – ½ tea spoon

Urad dal                                      – ½ tea spoon

Red chili                                        – 2 no

Green chili chopped                            – 2 no

Asafetida,                                        - ½ tsp

Curry leaves few

Fresh coriander leaves                          for decoration

Method: 

• Soak white peas for 6 to 8 hours; after washing add salt, turmeric powder and boil; drain and keep.
• Dry roast the items given and powder them coarsely.
• Chop, coriander and raw mango into thin and small pieces. Keep aside .
• Split the red chilies to small pieces.  Heat oil in a pan.
• Add all seasonings and Wait to crackle.
• Add cooked peas and combine with  add  ground dry spices, chopped raw mango, coconut, grated ginger and mix well.
• Check for salt. If you want add little bit salt . Add lemon juice in it.
• Mix well and remove from the flame.
• Add coriander leaves for decoration. 
• Serve as a snack.

RAGADA PATTIES

Chaat is the most popular street food in India. It is also one of the few street foods that I have actually eaten on the Thane (Bombay) street. This is one of my favorite  chaat

For Patties:

Boiled Potatoes                       – 4 no

Bread Crumbs                           - 2 tbsp.

Chopped coriander leaves           – 2btsp

Ginger paste                            – ½ tsp

Oregano seeds                        – 1/4 tsp.

Ammchur Powder                        ½ Tsp.

Salt                                         to taste

Turmeric Powder                       – a pinch

Oil                                           for swallow fry

Method for Patties

·        Boil, peel and mash the potatoes well.

·        Take the mashed potatoes into a bowl; add all above ingredients. Mix and knead well into a dough.

·        Divide the dough into balls.  Make patties and shallow fry them until brown.

·        Take out the patties from the oil and put them into a bowl with tissue paper to drain the excess oil.

Green Chutney

Chopped Coriander leaves            – 1 cup

Mint leaves (Pudina)                    - 1 tsp

Green chillies                              – 4 no

Salt                                          – to taste

Lemon juice                                – 1tsp

Method for Chutney

·        Add all the ingredients into a blender and blend to a smooth paste.

For Ragada gravy

Dry white Peas                       – one cup

Ginger pastae                          - 1 tsp

Minced green chilies                  – 5 no

Tomato finely chopped              – 1 no

Tamarind puree                       – 3 tbsp

 Fennel powder                      – 1/8 tsp.

 Hing powder                          - ¼ tsp.

Garam Masala                         1 tsp.

Cumin powder                         -1/4 tsp.

Turmeric                                 1/2tsp

Coriander Leaves

Salt                                    – to taste

Method for Ragada gravy

·        Soak the peas overnight and pressure cook until soft with a pinch of turmeric powder.

·        Grind the green chili and ginger paste, Fennel powder and tomatoes together.

·        Place a sauce pan on the stove and add the oil.

·        Heat a oil in a deep pan, add Hing, garam masala powder, cumin powder   and chili Tomato paste, and let it cook until the oil separates.

·         Now add the Pressure cooked peas and let it boil (prior to adding the peas partly mash the peas it so it can blend well

·        Add the tamarind puree and add one cup of water to the sauce and bring it to boil.

Serving method

• Place 2-3 patties on a Bowl. Pour a serving of the Ragada sauce on it. Top it with Green chutney. Garnish freshly chopped coriander leaves.