Vegetable Kara paniyaram

Paniyaram is a snack that looks like American cake-pops. They are made in special pans called 'kuzhipaniyara kal' . Those pans are the very same as puff pancake pans here.
Mostly the paniyaram batter is made with rice and dal.  We can make many varieties too. Check out my Kaara paniyaram, keerai paniyaram, carrot kuli paniyaram, sweet paniyaram, wheat paniyaram,  ragi paniyaram, unniappam, deep fried banana paniyaram . In this I have added many vegetables and it makes it more scrumptious.

Vegetable kaara paniyaram with tomato chutney

Ingredients:

dosa batter - 1 1/2 cup
ravai (sooji / semolina) - 2 tbsp
besan flour - 2 tbsp
baking soda - 1/2 tsp
oil - as per need
carrot, beans, capsicum, cabbage or any combo of vegetables - finely minced together 3/4 cup

To temper:

mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
urad dhal - 1 tsp
sesame oil - 1 tsp
onion - 1/4 (small)
green chilly - 2
cilantro, curry leaf - few leaves.
asafoetida (hing) - a pinch

Method:

Take the dosa batter in a mixing bowl, and add sooji to it.

It is not traditional to add besan flour, but I add it to get golden red paniyaram.

10 minutes before starting to prepare the paniyaram, add the baking soda and mix well. 

In the mean time prepare the tempering.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small wok and add mustard seeds. Once they start splutter, add the urad dhal, hing and finely chopped onion, cilantro, curry leaf, chopped chilly and let it get slightly tender. Then goes the chopped vegetables. Cook the vegetables crispy tender. Sprinkle some salt. Add it to the batter and mix well.
Now heat a paniyaram pan and brush some oil in all the holes. Then add 1/2 tsp sesame oil / butter in each hole. Reduce the flame to minimum and pour the batter to halfway in each hole. Click to see the picture. Let it get cooked. Cook covered or in open. (I prefer putting a lid to ensure uniform cooking). We can see the paniyaram getting cooked, by the golden color appearing in the edges. Flip using a skewer or fork (I use a spoon and fork). Cook for a minute.  Take out and serve immediately.

Serving suggestion:
Makes a breakfast or snack with tea or dinner or appetizer.
Makes almost 21 paniyaram .
Serve with coconut chutney, Tomato chutney

Note:

Click to read my kaara paniyaram recipe from scratch.
I used left over dosa batter (5 days old) in this recipe (old dosa batter contains lesser urid dal and that's the best for paniyaram).
Do everything in low heat. It may take a little while but that is the only way to get whole fluffy paniyaram (in a traditional pan).
Non stick pans work the best. But I have used a pan similar to traditional thick paniyaram pan.
For the first round it may require more oil to fry, but it will take very lesser in the next batches.
Tastes the best when it is very hot.

Sometimes we soak some kara paniyaram in sambar and serve like sambar vadai.

Time taken: around 30 minutes

Keerai paniyaram

Keerai paniyaram / spinach paniyaram. Paniyaram (appey / puff panakes) are very native South Indian dishes. We can make n number of varieties using the same batter. Sometimes I prepare the paniyaram batter itself from scratch (which is a successful method always). But using leftover dosa batter is a handy method too. Try this with any kind of greens we get and I am sure you are all going to love this.

Keerai paniyaram with kara chutney.

Ingredients:

thick dosa batter - 1 cup
besan flour - 1 tbsp
baking soda - 1/2 tsp
ghee /butter/  sesame oil - as per need

To temper:

spinach - handful
mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
urad dhal - 1 tsp
sesame oil - 1 tsp
onion - 1/4 (small)
green chilly - 2
asafoetida (hing) - a pinch

Method:

For spinach: In a wok, heat oil and add  mustard seeds, urid dal. As the mustard starts splutter, add finely chopped onion, green chilly and saute till it gets soft. Then add finely chopped spinach and cook covered for 5 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Add besan flour to dosa batter. Besan flour helps in flipping the paniyaram easily. The dosa batter should be thick.
10 minutes before starting to prepare the paniyaram, add the baking soda and mix well.
In the mean time prepare the spinach fry. Pour this spinach to the dosa batter and mix well.

Now heat a paniyaram pan and brush some oil in all the holes. Then add 1 tsp sesame oil / butter in each hole. Reduce the flame to minimum and pour the batter to halfway in each hole. Click to see the picture. Cook covered or in open. (I prefer putting a lid to ensure uniform cooking). We can notice some red color in the edges and then flip using a skewer or fork. No need to cover after flipping. Take out once done.

Serving suggestion:
Serve as breakfast or snack with coconut chutney. or kara chutney.

Note:

Do everything in low heat. It may take a little while but that is the only way to get whole fluffy paniyaram.
Non stick pans work the best. But I have used a pan similar to traditional thick paniyaram pan.
For the first batch it may require more oil to fry, but it will take very lesser in the following.

Carrot kuzhi paniyaram

Last week I made this carrot kuzhi paniyaram, inspired by the Tamil movie Saguni, in which actor Karthi makes carrot kuli paniyaram for his girlfriend. I always try to make foods that are popular in restaurants and movies in our house, as it is safer to eat home cooked meals for people like me:)
On that day hubby had a lot of work, stayed overnight and came home only in the early morning. There was a snow storm outside and he came all the way home in that snow by dawn....won't that be an excuse to make fried foods:) After having some pepper milk with him and some sleep,  I wanted to make some good food to cheer him up. I had some left over dosa batter, but still wanted to think something better than dosai. While he was sleeping I planned to make some delicious breakfast with a catchy name....and did this kara paniyaram using left over dosa batter. I am sure it is the best gift for any wife to see her man asking what smells this delicious:)  I am very glad that this came out very well and we enjoyed it with coconut chutney.

Carrot kuli paniyaram

Kuzhi paniyaaram with carrot

Snow time is good food time.....Peeking out of my kitchen window:)

Ingredients:

dosa batter - 1 1/2 cup
besan flour - 2 tbsp
baking soda - 1/2 tsp
oil - as per need
carrot - 1

To temper:

mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
urad dhal - 1 tsp
sesame oil - 1 tsp
onion - 1/4 (small)
green chilly - 2
cilantro, curry leaf - few leaves.
asafoetida (hing) - a pinch

Method:

Take the dosa batter in a mixing bowl, and add besan flour to it.

It is not traditional to add besan flour, but I add it to get golden red paniyaram.

10 minutes before starting to prepare the paniyaram, add the baking soda and mix well. In the mean time prepare the tempering.
Heat 1 tsp oil in a small wok and add mustard seeds. Once they start splutter, add the urad dhal, asafoetida and finely chopped onion, cilantro, curry leaf, chopped chilly and let it get slightly tender. Add it to the batter and mix well.
Peel the carrot and chop it finely (I used a vegetable chopper).
Now heat a paniyaram pan and brush some oil in all the holes. Then add 1 tsp sesame oil / butter in each hole. Reduce the flame to minimum and pour the batter to halfway in each hole. Click to see the picture. Top each paniyaram with 1/2 tsp chopped carrot and let it get cooked. Cook covered or in open. (I prefer putting a lid to ensure uniform cooking). We can see the paniyaram getting cooked, by the golden color appearing in the edges. Flip using a skewer or fork (I use a spoon and fork). Take out and serve immediately.

Serving suggestion:
Makes a breakfast or snack with tea or dinner or appetizer.
Makes almost 21 paniyaram .
Serve with coconut chutney.

Note:

Click to read my kaara paniyaram recipe from scratch.
I used left over dosa batter (5 days old) in this recipe.
Do everything in low heat. It may take a little while but that is the only way to get whole fluffy paniyaram.
Non stick pans work the best. But I have used a pan similar to traditional thick paniyaram pan.
For the first round it may require more oil to fry, but it will take very lesser in the next batches.
Tastes the best when it is very hot.

Kara Paniyaram

Kara paniyaram - Spicy puff pancake.

This is a popular tiffin / snack / breakfast in chettinadu region of Tamilnadu. The batter is similar to idly batter with slight variation in proportion. The urad dhal should be much lesser for the paniyaram, so that the paniyaram comes off the hole easily.

Ingredients:

Idly rice (parboiled rice / puzhungal arisi) - 1 cup
black gram lentil (ulunthu paruppu) - 2 tbsp
channa dhal (kadala paruppu) - 1 tbsp
salt - to taste ( 1tsp)
baking soda - 1/8 tsp
ghee /butter/  sesame oil - as per need

To temper:

mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
urad dhal - 1 tsp
sesame oil - 1 tsp
onion - 1/4 (small)
green chilly - 2
cilantro - few leaves.
asafoetida (hing) - a pinch

Method:

Rinse and soak the rice, urad dhal and channa dhal together for 6 hours.
Grind it to a fine to medium coarse batter with very little water.
The batter should be thick like a pancake batter / idly batter.
Mix salt and keep it to ferment overnight (cold weather) or 6 hours (in hotter weather).
The batter will ferment well only if the room temperature is above 85 deg F. Otherwise maintain the temperature using an oven.

10 minutes before starting to prepare the paniyaram, add the baking soda and mix well.
In the mean time prepare the tempering.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a small wok and add mustard seeds. Once they start splutter, add the urad dhal, asafoetida and finely chopped onion, cilantro, curry leaf, chilly and let it get slightly tender. Add it to the batter and mix well.

Now heat a paniyaram pan and brush some oil in all the holes. Then add 1 tsp sesame oil / butter in each hole. Reduce the flame to minimum and pour the batter to halfway in each hole. Click to see the picture. Cook covered or in open. (I prefer putting a lid to ensure uniform cooking). We can see the paniyaram getting cooked. Flip using a skewer or fork. Take out once done.

Serving suggestion:
Makes almost 21 paniyaram .
Serve with coconut chutney.

Note:

Do everything in low heat. It may take a little while but that is the only way to get whole fluffy paniyaram.
Non stick pans work the best. But I have used a pan similar to traditional thick paniyaram pan.
For the first round it may require more oil to fry, but it will take very lesser in the following.