Punugulu - Fritters from Andhra

Punugulu - Fritters from Andhra

The recipe originates from the Andhra region of India. Crisp from outside and soft within, Punugulu goes beautifully with spicy Sambar or with dry Garlic-Coconut chutney. It’s a delicious snack that can be quickly whipped up at breakfast or at tea-time. My friend, Sar, has posted a photograph and the recipe of these small golden fritters at a food forum at Facebook. They looked so delicious that I just had to recreate them in my kitchen. Making this snack is so easy, I promise, you will return to this recipe time and time again. Good recipes are always meant to be shared and so this one comes to you courtesy, my friend, Sar. These golden babies are an absolutely must-try!

Thank you, Sar, for being ever so patient with me while I plied you with query after query. Thank you for all the tips, suggestions and encouragement you shared so graciously. Heartfelt thanks to your mum and Grandma for their kind guidance. I truly appreciate it! _/\_

Ingredients:

2 cups Dosa batter (recipe here)
2 tablespoons rice flour
½ cup onions, finely chopped
9 green chilies, finely chopped
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Mix the Dosa batter, rice flour, onion, green chilies, cumin seeds and salt. Mix well. 
2. Heat oil in a wok. Once the oil gets hot, reduce flame to medium. 
3. Place a tablespoon for batter into the hot oil to make just one Punugulu. Allow it to cook. Fry till the Punugulu turn golden brown. 
   
    
4. Remove when done and check for seasoning. Add extra seasoning if needed. Continue making Punugulu with the remaining batter. (Do not overcrowd the wok.) 
5. Remove onto absorbent paper and serve with Sambar or chutney of your choice. 
   
   

Chef Notes:

1. I used two tablespoons to shape the Punugulu into a round shape before frying it in hot oil, quite similar to how one would quenelle a spoon of ice cream; only shape it round instead of oblong. Shaping them using two tablespoons gave it a better shape than using just one. If you aren’t really concerned about the shape, then of course, just add blobs of batter to the hot oil; they’re still going to taste just as nice. ;-) 
2. The batter has to be thick, so please do not exceed the quantity of water specified or the Punugulu will not retain their shape when fried. 
3. A cheat’s way to making Punugulu, is to buy ready Dosa batter from a store. Once in a while when I have a busy schedule I do just that and rest assured the Punugulu turns out just as nice. 
4. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.
   
   

Sambar – South Indian Lentil-Vegetable Stew

Sambar – South Indian Lentil-Vegetable Stew

Sambar is a perfect accompaniment to South Indian snacks like dosa, vada and punugulu. It is a staple dish in South Indian homes, also had with steamed rice. Different regions of India have their own tiny variation on this dish. The recipe I’m posting today is the one I savor when I visit a South Indian / Udipi restaurant in my city. Whenever I walk into such a restaurant, the aroma of Sambar permeates my senses. Give me a choice between chutney and Sambar and I will always reach for that piping hot bowl of Sambar. Lentil and vegetables flavored with aromatic spices and tamarind, the flavors blend so beautifully!

Ingredients:

125 grams tur dal/split red gram, wash and soak in water for 20 minutes

1 onion, cut into 8 pieces

75 grams bottle gourd / dodhi, cut into big 1½ inch pieces

50 grams red pumpkin / kaddu, cut into big 1½ inch pieces

1-2 drumsticks, peeled and cut into two inch pieces

2 tomatoes, chopped

15 curry leaves

½ teaspoon mustard seeds

1/8^th teaspoon hing / asafetida

3 whole Kashmiri red chilies

3 tablespoons Sambar Powder

¾ tablespoon red chili powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

Salt, to taste

2 tablespoons oil

Tamarind ball, the size of a lemon

2 sprigs of coriander leaves, chopped

Method:

1. In a pressure cooker add split red gram with turmeric powder, salt, onions and sufficient water.
2. Allow the cooker to whistle twice, lower heat and cook for 5 more minutes. Open the cooker when cool.
3. Soak tamarind in one cup hot water, cover and keep for 15 minutes. Strain the tamarind water in a sieve. Press the softened tamarind to extract thick pulp. Keep aside. (Add a wee bit of extra water, if needed, to extract the pulp)
4. Beat the tur dal with a hand beater to smoothen it a wee bit.
5. Heat oil in a vessel; splutter curry leaves, mustard seeds, asafetida and Kashmiri chilies.
6. Add Sambar Powder, red chili powder and sauté well for a few seconds.
7. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring intermittently.
8. Add the dal to this mixture and stir well.
9. Add the bottle gourd, red pumpkin, drumstick pieces and allow the dal to simmer on low fire till the vegetables are cooked. (add water to the dal if it thickens excessively while you cook the vegetables in it)
10. Check seasoning.
11. Gradually, little by little, add tamarind pulp to the dal. Do not add the pulp all at once. Keep tasting the Sambar as you add the tamarind pulp and adjust the tanginess to your liking.
12. Simmer the Sambar on very low heat for 5 more minutes and allow the flavors to blend.
13. Add coriander leaves, simmer for 30 seconds and take the Sambar off the hob. Serve with plain rice or South Indian snacks.
    
    

Chef Notes:

1. When you cook the vegetables in the dal cook them to the point where they are cooked but don’t go mushy.
2. I sometimes add 3-4 large pieces of aubergine / brinjal / baingan along with the other vegetables.
3. I used Suhana brand of Sambar powder but feel free to use any brand that's available to you.
4. When you strain out the tamarind pulp use a spoon to press the tamarind into the sieve, to extract all the pulp from it.
5. Please lessen the Sambar powder and the red chili powder if you want a milder flavor.
6. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.
   
   

Dosa Batter

Dosa Batter

South Indian Dosa batter isn't just used to make Dosa and Uttapam. It's a versatile batter that also comes to use when you need to whip up quick snacks like Punugulu for breakfast, or evening tea. This batter keeps very nicely in the fridge for six to seven days. People these days lead a hectic life, that’s why a batter such as this becomes a major time saver in the kitchen. I always keep a batch of batter in the fridge as doing that helps me whip up South Indian cuisine at a moments notice. You could do the same for your loved ones. What are you waiting for? :-)

Ingredients:

½ cup black gram (split and skinned) / urad dal

1½ cup Boiled rice (Boiled rice is a variety of rice)

½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1½ tablespoon Bengal gram (split and skinned) / chana dal

4 tablespoons flattened rice / poha

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Raw Boiled Rice

Method:

1. Wash and soak skinned black gram (split and skinned), boiled rice, Bengal gram (split and skinned) and fenugreek seeds in sufficient water for 8 hours.
2. After 8 hours, strain the soaked grains from the water. Retain the water.
   
   
3. Grind the soaked grains with flattened rice, adding the retained water as needed. (to grind the soaked grains you will require approximately 220-250 mils water) The batter should be thick and smooth in texture.
4. Remove the batter from the grinder in a large stainless steel vessel, add whole cumin seeds, give it a stir and cover with a lid.
   
   
5. Store the batter in a warm place until the batter ferments (about 6 to 8 hours). It may take a few extra hours to ferment during winter season. When the batter ferments it will have risen by about 2 to 3 inches and contain small bubbles.
6. Store the batter in the fridge for a further 24 to 36 hours before use.
7. When you need to use the batter, do not stir or disturb the batter. Carefully remove as much batter as you require and store the rest undisturbed in the fridge. This quantity makes 3½ - 4 cups batter.
   
   

Chef Notes: 

1. This recipe is courtesy my Facebook, foodie friend, Sar. Heartfelt thanks to him, not just for the recipe, but for patiently answering all my questions. 
2. Please allow the batter to rest and ferment as specified. When I post a recipe I keep trying it in different ways to ensure I can guarantee what works and what won’t. I tried this recipe with fresh batter, it absorbed lots of oil and that doesn’t feel too good in the mouth, in fact it tastes downright oily, so at the cost of sounding repetitive, please allow the batter to rest and ferment.
3. If you live in a cold place, please switch on your oven for 5 minutes at 170 degrees centigrade, then turn the oven OFF and put the batter (covered with a lid) in the warm oven. If you have a light in the oven, keep it switched on to ensure the oven retains it warmth longer and cover the batter vessel with a tea cozy cover or with layers of cloth to keep it warm, to allow it to ferment.
4. Do not rinse the grains after you drain them from the water.
5. We use the same retained water for grinding as that helps ferment the batter better.
6. Use as much batter as you require and keep the rest in the fridge. It keeps in the fridge for 6-7 days and in the freezer for approximately a month.
7. Add salt to the batter that you bring out to use. Leave the rest, stored in the fridge, unsalted until use.
8. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.