Kuzhi Paniyaram
Kuzhi or Kuli Paniyaram is a traditional Chettinad dish that is crisp on the outside and soft in the center. They're small in size and taste best when eaten with chutney.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
For the batter:
- 2 cups raw rice
- 2 cups idli rice/ parboiled rice
- ½ cup urad dhal
- ½ cup aval (also known as poha)
- 2 tbsp methi seeds
- 2 tsp salt
For savory paniyaram:
- 4 cups kuzhi paniyaram batter
- 1 cup onion (chopped)
- 3 green chilies (finely chopped)
- 10 curry leaves
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 tbsp oil
- oil for making paniyaram
For sweet paniyaram:
- 3 cups kuzhi paniyaram batter
- 3 blocks jaggery (adjust to taste)
- ½ cup water (to melt jaggery)
- ¼ cup grated coconut
- ⅛ tsp cardamom powder
- oil for making paniyaram
Instructions
For the batter:
- Soak idli rice and raw rice together for at least 2 hours.
- Soak urad dhal, methi seeds and aval in separate containers for at least 2 hours.
- Add soaked methi seeds and water used to soak the methi seeds into a wet grinder or blender.
- Once the methi seeds are ground, add urad dhal and grind.
- Once smooth, add soaked rice, aval and grind into a smooth batter. Add water as required. The batter should be similar in consistency to dosa batter.
- Add salt to the batter and mix with your hands.
- Pour batter into a tall container until ⅔ full. Let the batter ferment for 7-8 hours or overnight.
- Once fermented, the batter will rise. Store batter in the refrigerator.
For savory paniyaram:
- Add mustard seeds to hot oil. Once mustard seeds crackle, add chopped onions, green chilies and curry leaves. Saute for 2 minutes and set aside.
- Pour kuzhi paniyaram batter into a mixing bowl and add sauted mixture to the batter. Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Heat kuzhi paniyaram pan and add ½ tsp oil to each mound.
- Use a small spoon to pour batter into each mound. Cover with a lid and cook.
- Use a wooden stick, similar to a skewer stick, to gently flip the kuzhi paniyaram. The paniyaram should be golden brown.
- Flip all paniyarams and brush with oil. Insert stick in the center and make sure it comes out clean. If not, cook for a few more minutes.
- Serve hot with chutney.
For sweet paniyaram:
- Add jaggery blocks to a pan with water. Let the jaggery melt.
- Add cardamom powder and boil for 1 minute.
- Filter the melted jaggery to remove any impurities.
- Mix the jaggery and grated coconut with the paniyaram batter.
- Heat kuzhi paniyaram pan and add ½ tsp oil to each mound.
- Use a small spoon to pour batter into each mound. Cover with a lid and cook.
- Use a wooden stick, similar to a skewer stick, to gently flip the kuzhi paniyaram. The paniyaram should be golden brown.
- Flip all paniyarams and brush with oil. Insert stick in the center and make sure it comes out clean. If not, cook for a few more minutes.
- Serve hot.