Veggie Gunta Ponganalu | Masala Paniyaram
Ponganalu is dumplings made from fermented batter prepared from black lentils and rice. Toss some herbs, spices, and veggies into the batter. To create these dumplings, you'll need a Ponganalu pan, Appe pan, or Paniyaram pan. These are crisp on the outside and soft from the inside.. Some of its various names are Kuzhi Paniyaram, Paniyaram, Guliyappa Appe , etc.
Ingredients
- 2 cups idli/dosa batter home made or market- bought
- 1 tsp ginger garlic chopped
- ½ cup onion chopped
- A few curry leaves chopped
- 1 tsp chana dal; soaked
- 1 tsp urad dal; soaked
- ¼ cup French beans; chopped
- ¼ cup carrot; chopped
- ¼ cup capsicum; chopped
- 1-2 green chilies; chopped
- 1 stalk of spring onions; chopped
- A few sprigs of coriander; chopped
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- salt to taste
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder; haldi
- ¼ tsp red chili powder; laal mirchi pdr
- ½ tsp cumin seeds; jeera
- ¼ tsp coriander powder; dhaniya
- A pinch of asafetida; hing
- Regular Cooking oil
- Coconut oil
- water to adjust the consistency of batter.
Instructions
Sauté Veggies
- Firstly, heat 2-3 tbsp cooking oil. Sauté cumin seeds in this oil.
- Add the finely chopped curry leaves and green chilies. Stir and sauté.
- Then add finely chopped ginger garlic. This is optional . Sauté very well.
- Now add the soaked lentils – mix of chana and urad dal. You may add the lentils without soaking. In that case saute the lentils till they turn golden brown.
- Sauté the soaked lentils well till the water dries.
- Then add finely chopped onions, French beans, carrots and capsicum.
- Mix well and sauté till the veggies are nearly done..
- Thereafter add turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, asafetida and salt.
- Mix well and sauté.
- Additionally, throw in some chopped spring onions and coriander leaves.
- Put off flame and set aside the veggies to cool.
Making Ponganalu
- Pour the idli /dosa batter in a wide bowl.
- Add the cooled vegetable mixture into the batter.
- Combine and check for salt. If need be adjust the consistency with water.
- Lastly add the baking soda, mix and keep aside for 5 minutes.
- Pour drop of oil in each of the cavities of ponganalu pan . Use a mix of coconut oil and regular cooking oil.
- Drop spoonful batter – vegetables mix in each cavity. Fill the cavities till three-fourths level.
- Cover and cook for five minutes on low to medium flame. If batter leaves the sides of the cavities, this implies that the ponganalu is ready to be flipped. Before that again pour a drop of oil near the sides of each cavity such that the oil seeps to its bottom . At once flip them the Ponganalu.
- Cover and let the appe cook on the other side. Alternatively, you may add oil after flipping.
- After 3-4 minutes, flip again to check.
- The Ponganalu is ready when all them are cooked and reddish brown.
- Transfer them to a bowl. Serve them warm. Even when ponganalu cool down, they taste equally good. This is what I like about them.
- Enjoy with coconut chutney or any chutney you have.
Notes
- Instead of sauteing the vegetable, you could directly add onions, carrots and capsicum to the batter. However sauteing enhances flavors.
- You may add vegetables of your choice.
- You ferment idle/dosa batter at home or buy fermented batter from the store.
- Work on low to medium flame so that the Ponganalu/paniyaram/appe cook well from the inside.