gunta ponganalu

Gunta Ponganalu with Coconut Peanut Chutney

What do you do with leftover idli or dosa batter? Use it to prepare Punukulu or Ponganalu. They are quick and easy to prepare. Just add chopped onion, green chillis, cumin seeds, coriander leaves and soaked channa dal to the batter and prepare shallow fried fritters aka Gunta Ponganalu or Pongadalu, a Rayalaseema speciality. You need a special cooking skillet, ‘ponganalu penam’, to prepare these petite beauties.

Ponganalu cooking in the Ponganalu Penam/pan

Gunta Ponganalu Recipe

Prep:Overnight fermentation Prep & Cooking: 20 mts

Serves 4-5 persons

Cuisine: Andhra

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Ingredients:
2 cups raw rice, soak in water overnight
1 tsp methi/fenugreek seeds
1 cup urad dal/minappa pappu/black gram dal, soak for 4-5 hrs
1 chopped onion
1 1/2 tsps green chilli-ginger paste
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 fistfuls channa dal/senaga pappu, soaked in water for an hour
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
oil for frying
salt to taste

1 Soak rice, urad dal and methi seeds for 7-8 hrs. Strain and grind the soaked dal and rice to a fine paste. Ferment the batter for 6-7 hrs. Add salt to taste and combine well. (Alternately you can use left over dosa or idli batter too.)
2 Add chopped onions, green chilli-ginger paste, soaked channa dal, cumin seeds and coriander leaves to the batter and combine well.
3 Pour few drops of oil into each depression of the ponganalu penam. Place flame on medium high for a mt. Pour batter into each depression and allow to cook with lid for 4-5 mts undisturbed and cook on low to medium flame. It will cook to a golden brown shade. Flip over with help of a spoon or fork and allow to cook for 2-3 mts without lid.
4 Remove onto absorbent paper. Serve hot with chutney of your choice.