Paniyaram Recipe (kuzhi/kuli Paniyaram Or Paddu)

Kuzhi Paniyaram is a round dumpling from south India made with a spiced fermented rice and urad dal batter. It is a common breakfast item made with leftover idli/dosa batter mixed with cooked onions, whole spices and aromatics. It is perfect as a snack or a meal served with a spicy chutney, such as kaara chutney.

What is Paniyaram?

Paniyaram (Tamil name) is known by different names depending on the region, so it can be called kulu/kuli paniyaram, gunta ponganalu, paddu etc. These have plain, spiced or sweet versions. Being fried in oil, they are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.

My mom used to make these all the time during my childhood and it was one of my favourite alternatives to dosa/idli. It is definitely a kid as well as adult favourite!

How to make Kuzhi Paniyaram? Tips and substitutions

This recipe calls for really simple ingredients like rice, onions, mustard seeds, green chilli peppers, etc., so the star of the scene is the pan.

Paniyaram pan:

This recipe requires a special pan that is usually called as Paniyaram chatti or appe pan . This cookware comes with several mini round moulds and is similar to the Takoyaki (たこ焼き器) pan used to make Takoyaki in Japan or æbleskiver pan used used to make æbleskivers (danish pancakes) in Europe.

I use a Takoyaki pan and it works perfectly well!

Idli batter:

Start with making idli batter, or use leftover idli batter. You can find the recipe right here , if you don’t know how to make it. Take out 2 cups of the batter and set aside.

Onion mixture:

Make the onion mixture that needs to be added to the idli batter . I used a mix that includes red onions, mustard seeds, ginger, green chilli peppers, chopped curry leaves, but you can choose to add or remove whatever ingredient you need to.

Ideas for other additions: You can use red chilli powder for an extra kick, hing (asafoetida), ground black pepper, shredded coconut or fresh coriander.

Cooking Paniyaram:

• Heat the Paniyaram pan on a stovetop, and add some oil (about 1 tsp in each mould). Be careful on this step, the type of pan determines the cook time. If its a light-weigh pan, the paniyarams will cook faster, so keep a medium to low flame in that case.
• Pour the spiced batter in the moulds so that it fills up to ¾ of the volume.
• Cook for a few minutes on low to medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, covering the pan if necessary. Regulate the heat according to the pan, because this varies depending on the quality.
• You might need to flip them once or more to get the desired grip you prefer. I like it extra crispy and golden brown. When the paniyarams are golden, serve hot, or store in an air tight jar once cooled.

Serving the kulfi/kuzhi Paniyaram:

You can serve kuzhi paniyaram hot or warm with tomato onion chutney , kara chutney , idli podi or coconut chutney .

Check out other South Indian recipes from the blog:

• Kerala Kadala Curry/Kari
• Sambar
• Idli and Dosa

Kuzhi/Kuli Paniyaram

Ingredients1x2x3x

• 2 cups Idli Batter
• 1 medium red onion finely chopped (sub with 3 pearl onions)
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds
• 2 thinly chopped green chili peppers
• 1 tsp minced ginger – or 1 knob ginger grated
• 6-7 chopped curry leaves
• salt to taste
• oil as required

Instructions

Onion Mixture:

• Start by heating oil in a pan, and add the mustard seeds to it.
• Once they splutter, add the chopped onions, minced ginger, green chilies, and chopped curry leaves.
• Cook until the onions turn soft, about 5 minutes.
• Then, transfer to a bowl, add 2 cups of idli batter to this, and salt to taste.
• Mix well with a spoon and set aside.
• If the batter is too thick, add some water. If the batter is thin, fix it by adding some rice flour.

Cooking Paniyaram:

• Heat the paniyaram pan (or Takoyaki or Aebleskiver pan). Add about 1 tsp oil to each mould.
• Pour the batter up to ¾ of the volume of each mould and fill out all the moulds.
• Let themto cook for 2 to 3 minutes on a low or medium heat.
• Turn each kuzhi paniyaram with the help of chopsticks or wooden skewers (a fork would do too).
• Cooked until crispy and golden.
• Turn multiple times for even cooking and remove them on to a plate.
• Repeat with the rest of the batter.
• Serve hot with Kaara chutney or any other chutney you prefer.

Dal tadka is a popular lentil dish that most Indians make at home as well as order in restaurants. This dal tadka brings restaurant style flavours to your home. Made with toor(or tuvar) dal, mung dal and chana dal, so it is creamy and has texture variations to keep you excited. Make this for your family favourite for weeknight dinners or make ahead for easy meal prep.

What is Dal Tadka?

Daal/Dal is a common lentil dish from India that is a staple in most North Indian household. It’s usually made with very simple ingredients: lentils, onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes and a few spices. Tadka is the tempering that your pour over the dal, once its made, sort of like a finishing magic touch that takes the flavour to the next level. You don’t want to skip it!

How to make Dal tadka?

Ingredients:

Dal/Lentils:

You can use WHATEVER lentils you have on hand. I used Toor dal (split pigeon pea), mung dal (split mung beans) and chana dal (split Bengal gram). But, you can use Masoor dal (split red lentils) as well and remove or keep any kind of dal you have at hand.

Aromatics:

I use red onions, fresh ginger and garlic and green chilli peppers. Of course, you can remove the chilli peppers if thats too hot for you (or hey, challenge yourself to up your heat tolerance 😉 ). You can also sub the fresh ginger and garlic for a store-bought ginger and garlic paste (easily found in Indian stores).

Tomatoes:

I like to use tomato puree because they feel more flavourful, especially during winters or you live in countries that offer only mediocre tomato varieties. You can easily use chopped tomatoes.

Spices:

Whole spices- Whole cumin seeds, Ground spices- Turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder are easily the 3 ground spices make the base of more north Indian dishes. Also, add Garam Masala at the end (since it is a pre-toasted spice blend. It doesn’t require cooking.)

Tempering:

The tempering is the magic touch at the end that takes your dal from mediocre to extremely good! So, you can add whatever you want to add that punch factor to your dal. I used whole cumin seeds, hing (asafoetida), dried red chilli peppers. You can also add sliced garlic, ginger julienned, crushed Kasuri methi, more red chilli powder for extra heat etc.

Smoking/Dhungar Method:

The charcoal method gives a smokey restaurant-style taste to the dal. But, if you don’t have charcoal or means to heat up a charcoal piece, just add smoked paprika to the dal or skip this step.

If you don’t have the energy to make an elaborate dal recipe, check out this one pot dal recipe . Check out other hearty Indian dishes from the blog:

• Easy Chana Masala
• Vegan Paneer Butter Masala
• Vegan Palak Paneer

Dal Tadka

Ingredients1x2x3x

• 1 cup Toor dal 225 g
• 1/2 cup Mung dal 115 g
• 1/4 cup Chana dal 62 g
• 4-5 cups water
• 1 tsp oil
• 3-4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 knob ginger crushed
• 1 medium onion diced
• 3 green chilli peppers diced
• 1/2 cup of tomato puree/2-3 small tomatoes chopped
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp garam Masala
• Salt to taste
• Dried Kasuri methi

For smoking:

• 1 piece charcoal
• 1 tbsp oil

For the tadka:

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp hing/asafoetida
• 2-3 dried red chillis
• Garnish
• Coriander leaves chopped
• 1/2 Lemon juiced

Instructions

• Wash the dals together, thoroughly in water until it turns almost clear.
• Add them to a pressure cooker or instant pot and cook for 10 minutes on high.
• In the meantime, heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and add 1 tsp of cumin seeds to it.
• Once it starts crackling and turning brown, add the crushed ginger and garlic to it and cook on low heat until the raw smell goes away.
• Add onions and green chilli to this and cook on medium-low until the onions turn golden and soft.
• Add the ground spices, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder and mix well. Cook until the raw smell of turmeric powder goes away.
• Add the tomato puree or chopped tomatoes to this and cook until the tomatoes get cooked. Add salt at this point and mix well.
• Stir in the cooked lentils/dal to this mixture and cook for another 5 minutes until the flavour blend in together. Add dried Kasuri methi (if using) and turn off the heat.

For the smoking:

• Place a tall bowl in the pot of dal and then heat oil in a small pan.
• Heat the piece of charcoal on fire (be safe, friends) with the help of tongs. Place it in the bowl, pour hot oil on the charcoal piece and cover the pot to let the smoke make the dal smoky, about 5 minutes. Then take out the bowl and discard the charcoal.

For the tadka:

• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a small pan and add cumin seeds to it.
• Once it crackles, add the asafoetida and dried chillis and stir it. Take it off the heat before it starts burning and pour over the daal.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and lemon juice.
• Enjoy dal with basmati rice, roti and Indian pickle (achar).

Notes

1. Soak the daal for 2-3 hours before cooking.
2. Drain and cook on a pot on medium heat with 4-5 cups of water.
3. Cook for about 45 minutes (add water when it starts getting dry) until they turn soft.

Here’s a delicious and spicy chutney that you can make to accompany your dosas, idlis or Paniyaram . This Kaara Chutney, as the name suggests, is a spicy South Indian chutney made with red chilies, onions, garlic, and spices. This chutney gets the spice and smoky tang from the red chilies, onions, garlic, and the tempering of condiments. I love this chutney so much that I could eat it with idli and dosa every day. There are different kinds of chutneys all over India but this Kaara Chutney is a personal favorite.

What is Kaara/Kara Chutney?

Of late I have been experimenting a lot with dosa batter to make dishes like dosas, Idli, or even Paniyaram (fluffy steamed batter molded into tiny dumplings). Check out my recipe on how to make crispy and soft Paniyarams with a simple recipe. To go along with these dishes there are a variety of chutneys that work perfectly. There are different variations of chutneys in different states, for example, coconut chutney, onion chutney, or tomato chutney .

In most restaurants in India, coconut chutney, as well as red Kaara chutney, is served with certain dishes. Don’t get me wrong, coconut chutney also is an amazing side dish. But after trying out multiple chutneys, I feel that Kaara chutney is one of those side dishes that pair up perfectly with some rice-based steamed dishes. The smoky flavor of the red chilies, tempering and the tanginess of the onions and garlic add a certain zing to this chutney.

This is a quick 5 minute recipe to make a delicious chutney. Let’s dive right into it!

How to make Kaara Chutney – Tips and Tricks

Lentils

• Heat some oil in a pan and once the oil starts to glisten, reduce the flame. Remember to reduce the high flame before adding the lentils as the taste of burnt lentils is not something you want in your chutney. The toasting of the ingredients has to be done over low flame and proportionately.

• Add the urad daal and chana daal and saute until both turn golden. Add the onions and saute them until they turn translucent or golden brown.

Spices and veggies

• Add the garlic, dried red chilies, and chopped tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes turn soft.
• A trick to quickly turn the tomatoes into soft mush is to add salt right after adding tomatoes. (this applies to any dish where you are using tomatoes). Salt causes tomatoes to release their juices, making them less watery and more powerfully flavorful.

Spices and veggies

• Once the tomatoes are cooked, take them off the heat and let it cool. Unless you have a heat-resistant blender or don’t mind your regular blender exploding its top off, I’d suggest letting the ingredients cool completely.
• Add enough water to grind the contents into a smooth paste. Scoop the chutney and keep it aside in a bowl.

Blending

• Add enough water to grind the contents into a smooth paste.
• Scoop the chutney and keep it aside in a bowl.

Tempering

• In a tempering pan or a small regular pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds.
• Once the mustard seeds pop and crackle, add a sprig of curry leaves and a pinch of hing (asafoetida). Saute on medium heat until the curry leaves turn crispy.
• Avoid keeping it on high heat, otherwise, the mustard seeds will give out a bitter taste to the chutney.
• Pour the tempering mix over the Kaara chutney and swirl it with a spoon.

The Kaara chutney is ready to be served with Idlies, dosa, and paniyaram.

Storage

This chutney can be stored in an air tight container for up to 4 days. After that, the chutney might turn super tangy and sour. It can also be frozen in a freeze safe bag for up to 3 months. Let defrost in the fridge the night prior to the day of consumption.

Check out my other recipes for chutneys:

• Easy Mint Coriander Chutney: Thick With Secret Ingredient

• Homemade Coconut Chutney- Easy South Indian Dip

• Onion Tomato Chutney (South Indian Dip)

Simple Spicy Red Kaara Chutney – Tamil style

Ingredients1x2x3x

• 2 tsp oil
• 4 – 5 dry red chilies
• 2-3 large garlic chopped
• 1 small red onion 2-3 shallots
• 1 medium to large tomato chopped
• 1 tsp chana dal split & husked bengal gram
• 1 tsp urad dal split husked black gram
• salt to taste
• ⅓ to ½ cup water for grinding chutney

Tempering:

• 2 tsp neutral oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 1 spring curry leaves (de-leaved) 8-9 curry leaves
• 1 pinch asafoetida hing

Instructions

• Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and reduce the heat/flame.
• Add 1 tsp urad dal and 1 tsp chana dal.
• On a low flame, saute both they turn golden (don’t let it go brown).
• Then add the chopped onions and sauté until golden
• Then add garlic and dried red chilli and saute for a bit less than a minute.
• Then add chopped tomatoes and salt.
• Saute the tomatoes on low heat until soft.
• Take it off the heat and let it cool down before adding to a blender (unless you have a heat resistant blender).
• Add enough water and grind to a smooth paste.
• Scoop the chutney into a bowl and set aside.

Tempering For Kaara Chutney:

• In a tempering pan, heat 2 tsp oil and add mustard seeds.
• Once they crackle, add a sprig of curry leaves and a pinch of hing (asafoetida).
• Sauté on medium until the curry leaves turn crispy.
• Pour the tempering mix over the kaara chutney and mix.
• Serve with idli, dosa or paniyaram.

Kuzhi/Kuli Paniyaram

Ingredients1x2x3x

• 2 cups Idli Batter
• 1 medium red onion finely chopped (sub with 3 pearl onions)
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds
• 2 thinly chopped green chili peppers
• 1 tsp minced ginger – or 1 knob ginger grated
• 6-7 chopped curry leaves
• salt to taste
• oil as required

Instructions

Onion Mixture:

• Start by heating oil in a pan, and add the mustard seeds to it.
• Once they splutter, add the chopped onions, minced ginger, green chilies, and chopped curry leaves.
• Cook until the onions turn soft, about 5 minutes.
• Then, transfer to a bowl, add 2 cups of idli batter to this, and salt to taste.
• Mix well with a spoon and set aside.
• If the batter is too thick, add some water. If the batter is thin, fix it by adding some rice flour.

Cooking Paniyaram:

• Heat the paniyaram pan (or Takoyaki or Aebleskiver pan). Add about 1 tsp oil to each mould.
• Pour the batter up to ¾ of the volume of each mould and fill out all the moulds.
• Let themto cook for 2 to 3 minutes on a low or medium heat.
• Turn each kuzhi paniyaram with the help of chopsticks or wooden skewers (a fork would do too).
• Cooked until crispy and golden.
• Turn multiple times for even cooking and remove them on to a plate.
• Repeat with the rest of the batter.
• Serve hot with Kaara chutney or any other chutney you prefer.