Paniyaram is a delicious South Indian snack made from fermented rice and lentil batter. It is typically cooked in a special pan called a paniyaram pan, which has multiple small, round cavities. Here’s a recipe for traditional Paniyaram:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup idli/dosa batter (fermented rice and lentil batter)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 small carrot, grated
- 1/4 cup chopped bell peppers (optional)
- 1-2 green chilies, finely chopped (adjust according to your spice preference)
- A small piece of ginger, grated
- A few curry leaves, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon urad dal (split black gram dal)
- Salt to taste
- Oil for greasing and cooking
Instructions:
- Heat a teaspoon of oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let them splutter.
- Add urad dal and sauté until it turns golden brown.
- Add chopped onions, grated carrot, bell peppers (if using), green chilies, grated ginger, and curry leaves. Sauté until the onions become translucent and the vegetables are slightly cooked. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, take the idli/dosa batter. Add the sautéed vegetable mixture and salt. Mix well to combine.
- Heat the paniyaram pan on medium heat and grease the cavities with oil.
- Pour a spoonful of batter into each cavity, filling them about three-fourths full.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook for a few minutes until the bottom side of the paniyarams turns golden brown and crispy.
- Flip the paniyarams using a wooden skewer or spoon and cook the other side until golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove the paniyarams from the pan and repeat the process with the remaining batter.
- Serve the hot and crispy paniyarams with coconut chutney, tomato chutney, or sambar.
Note: You can also add a small amount of finely chopped coriander leaves for added freshness. Feel free to experiment with the ingredients and add your own variations to suit your taste.
