Punugulu Recipe (With Idli Dosa Batter)

Ingredients

• 1 cup Idli Batter or dosa batter or uttapam batter
• 1 tablespoon rava – finer textured (semolina or cream of wheat) – optional
• ¼ cup onions – finely chopped or 1 small onion
• 5 to 6 curry leaves chopped or 1 teaspoon chopped curry leaves
• 1 inch ginger – finely chopped
• 1 or 2 green chilies – chopped or ½ to 1 teaspoon, chopped
• 2 to 3 teaspoon coriander leaves – chopped (cilantro)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• salt as required – only to be added it you have not added salt to the batter before
• oil for deep frying, as required

Steps

Preparation

1. Put 1 cup idli batter or dosa batter in a bowl. If refrigerated, allow it to reach room temperature.
2. Add rava if using, along with chopped onions, curry leaves, green chillies, ginger, coriander leaves, and cumin seeds.
3. Add salt if needed and mix thoroughly.

Frying Punugulu

1. Heat deep-frying oil in a kadai or pan. Put a small test portion of batter into medium hot oil and begin frying.
2. When cooked, let the test portion cool a little and check its texture: crisp outside and soft, fluffy inside. If the outside is too crisp and absorbs a lot of oil, add more rava or rice flour to the batter. If dense, add more water.
3. Keep the batter slightly thick or medium-thick, rather than very thick or thin. When the consistency is right, no water, rava, or rice flour needs adding.
4. For very thick batter, add a few tablespoons of water.
5. For thin batter, add a few tablespoons of rice flour or rava.
6. Once the fried test portion has the right texture, drop spoonfuls of batter into medium hot oil.
7. Turn each fritter when its sides become pale golden and crisp.
8. Keep frying in medium hot oil, turning a few times to brown evenly.
9. Fry until golden and crisp.
10. Lift out the punugulu with a slotted spoon and drain the extra oil.
11. Put on kitchen towels to absorb excess oil.
12. Serve hot or warm with coconut chutney, peanut chutney, or another preferred chutney.