Punugulu: The Fried Cousin Of Paniyaram. Ever Tried?
Image Credit: Image: bengaluru_thindi_guru

Indians just cannot do without their snacks especially when it comes to their beloved ‘sham ki chai’. This best part of the day could be made more memorable with a scrumptious snack that could be made with your fresh or even leftover idli and dosa batter. Can you guess what are we talking about? Yes, it is Punugulu. 

Also known as Punukulu, this snack is a variation of paniyaram but is fried. Punugulu is made with freshly ground idli batter, or you can even use fermented batter. If you love sour fritters, you can also use the batter which is 2 to 3 days old. This snack is a perfect snack that you can make from the batter that you were struggling to use. You can serve with a classic coconut chutney or any other chutney of your choice. Wanna know how to make this at home? Here’s the recipe. 

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup idli batter (you can also take dosa batter or uttapam batter) 
  • 1 onion (chopped) 
  • ½ ginger (chopped) 
  • 1 tbsp rawa 
  • Some curry leaves 
  • 3 green chilies 
  • Chopped coriander leaves 
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds 
  • Salt as per taste 
  • Oil for frying 

Method 

  • Take a bowl and add idli or dosa or uttapam batter to it. Bring the mixture to room temperature. 
  • Add rawa, chopped onion, curry leaves, ginger, green chilies, coriander leaves and cumin seeds. 
  • Add salt and mix well. 
  • Heat a kadhai and add oil. Bring the oil to the right temperature so that the fritters could cook properly. 
  • When the oil comes to the right temperature and batter is in the right consistency, start by adding spoonfuls of the batter in the oil. 
  • When the sides become pale golden and crisp. Turnover and let it stay. 
  • Fry them in medium hot oil until they turn crisp and golden. 
  • Drain the punugulu and remove excess oil. 
  • Serve with fresh coconut chutney or peanut chutney. 

Give these snacks a try and let us know if you liked this quick and delicious snack.