Paniyaram is a south Indian dish made by steaming batter using a mould. The dish can also be made sweet or spicy depending on the ingredients jaggery and chillies respectively. Paniyaram is made on a special pan that comes with multiple small fissures. It is known by various names in South India, including paddu, appe, guliappa, gulittu, gundponglu, ponganalu.

Here I have made with green moong dal batter ; soft , crispy and spicy ones.

Preparation time: 6 hours

Cooking time: 20 mins

Yield: 20 to 22

INGREDIENTS:

• Split green moong : 1 cup
• Ginger: 1 small piece
• Green chillies: 3
• Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
• Onion: 1 small finely chopped
• Baking soda: 1/2 tsp
• Rava : 1 tbsp
• Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp finely chopped
• Salt: for taste
• Oil: for frying

PREPARATION:

• Soak split green moong in water for 5 to 6 hours.
• I soak it overnight to make it for morning breakfast.
• After soaking, drain the water.
• Grind together, soaked moong dal, ginger, 2 green chillies and cumin seeds into a fine paste .
• The batter should be semi thick , thicker than the idli batter.
• Now to this ground batter add finely chopped onions, green chillies, coriander leaves, baking soda , rava and salt.
• Mix well and keep aside for 10 mins.
• Heat oil in the unniappam chatti ( round pan with small fissures).
• I used very little oil; if using non stick pan you can just brush little oil.
• Pour batter with a spoon into each fissures.
• After a minute turn it with a skewer or fork and cook for a minute or so.
• Fry all the paniyarams, drain and keep in absorbent paper.
• Serve hot with green chutney or tomato ketchup.