Paniyaram

Paniyaram.

Paniyaram / gunta ponganalu is a south Indian breakfast dish made with rice. Here, sago is used as a main ingredient. Sago is soaked along with rice and other ingredients for few hours and ground into somewhat thick batter. The batter is them tempered and poured into small moulds and cooked till crisp.
Makes: around 30 Paniyaram.

Ingredients:

• Sago 1/2 Cup
• Rice 3/4 Cup
• Urad Dal 1/4 Cup
• Fenugreek Seeds a pinch
• Yogurt 3 tbsps
• Chana Dal 1 tbsp
• Green Chiles 2
• Ginger 1 inch Piece
• Cilantro few Sprigs
• Salt to taste
• Oil to grease the moulds

Talimpu:

• Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
• Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
• Curry Leaves 4
• Oil 1 tsp

Method of preparation:

Remove stems, wash and finely chop green chiles.
Peel, wash and mince the ginger.
Wash and finely chop the cilantro.
Soak chana dal for 4 – 5 hours in enough water.

Soak sago, rice, urad dal, fenugreek seeds in enough water for 4 – 5 hours.
Strain the water and grind all of them together into paste adding yogurt and sufficient salt.
Add water if necessary while grinding.
Remove the ground paniyaram batter into a vessel and let if ferment for good 6 – 8 hours.
Then, stir in soaked chana dal and cilantro to the fermented batter.

Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order along with ginger and green chiles.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, remove from heat and add to the paniyaram batter.

Heat aebleskiver pan or ponganalu pan on medium heat.
Grease the moulds with few drop of oil and let the pan heat a bit.
Fill each mould of the aebleskiver pan with a tbsp or more of the paniyaram batter.
Once edges start to change color, carefully turn paniyaram on other side and let it cook for a another minute. Carefully remove paniyaram from the pan onto a plate.
Repeat the same with remaining ponganalu batter.
Serve paniyaram with coconut chutney or with any other chutney and sambar.
Notes: Make sure to cook the paniyaram on medium heat for insides to cook.

Suggestions: If the ponganalu is not cooked properly inside, put them back on the pan and cook on low heat till done.
Variations: You can also use the leftover dosa batter and mix in soaked sago along with other ingredients for a quick fix.
Other Names: Paniyaram, Guntha Ponganalu, Gunta Pongadalu, Appe,