Chettinadu Special - Vellai Paniyaram

Vellai Paniyaram is a Chettinadu signature dish, without which a function is never complete in chettinadu. People of all ages like it very much. It is a simple recipe that can be made instantly without fermenting the batter.

 PREPARATION TIME - 15 minutes

 COOKING TIME         - 30 minutes

 INGREDIENTS (Serves - 3-4 persons):

• Raw rice - 1 cup (leveled)
• Urad dal - around 2 tablespoon
• Raw milk - 1/4 cup
• Salt
• Water

DIRECTIONS: 

1. Soak rice and urad dal in a bowl for 1 hour, rinse and then drain.

2. Grind the soaked mixture to a fine paste by adding water little by little, in a wet grinder. Add salt,raw milk and water if needed to bring it to a consistency slightly thinner than the dosa batter.

(Tip: Test consistency of batter by making one paniyaram. If the paniyaram comes like bonda then batter is thick, you need to loosen batter by adding raw milk. If the paniyaram disperse into pieces in oil or soggy then batter is too watery, you can add little rice flour. Vellai paniyaram has to be flat with flower like pattern on its sides. This shows that the batter consistency is right.)

3. Heat oil in a Kadai in a medium temperature.

(Tip: Drop a tiny piece of dough in a oil. If it comes up steadily and gradually on top, then the oil is hot enough to fry.)

4. Pour a full ladle of batter using a slightly flat bottom ladle. Take the hot oil and pour over the frying paniyaram (like making poori). Let it raise and puff up.

(Tip: Lower the flame once it puffs up. Do not let it smoke else the color will change.)

5. Flip over and cook other side. Do not over fry.

6. Once cooked remove, drain the excess oil and serve hot with Vara milagai chutney or Tomato chutney.

ADDITIONAL TIP: 

=> Use wet grinder for grinding the batter yields better results.