Ponganalu / Pongadalu / Gunta pongadalu

I've left over dosa batter in refrigerator. Today I cooked ponganlu for evening snack.  Pongadalu/ponganalu is a puffed snack made with dosa batter which is a traditional snack item of Andhra Pradesh, India. It tastes good with peanut chutney. You will need a special pan -ponganalu pan (available in most of Indian grocery stores) to prepare this snack item. This is a perfect and easy snack to make if you have a left over dosa or idli batter.

Ingredients:

Urad dal/minappa pappu/black gram dal - 1 cup (soak in water overnight)

Raw rice - 2 cups (soak in water overnight)

Methi/fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Note: you can replace above ingredients with (left over) dosa/Idli batter

Baking Soda - 1 pinch

Cumin seeds -1 Tbsp

Onion (finely chopped) - 1 small size

Green chilli (finely chopped) - 1

Oil for frying
 
Method: 

• Soak rice, urad dal and methi seeds in water overnight. Strain and grind the soaked dal,rice and methi seeds to a fine paste. Leave the batter at room temperature to ferment for 6-7 hrs. Add salt to taste and mix  well.  
•  Note: As an alternate to above step ,you can use left over dosa or idli batter.
• Add pinch of baking soda to batter and mix well.
• Add chopped onions, green chilli, cumin seeds to the batter and mix well. (Note: you can also add few coriander leaves )
• Place the ponganalu pan on medium heat and Pour few drops of oil into each pit. (If you have oil sprayer you can spray oil in each pit).
• Once the oil is heated, Pour batter into each pit of the pan, make sure to fill only 3/4 th of the pit as it will puff later. Place a lid and cook for 4-5 mts undisturbed on medium heat. It will cook to a golden brown shade.  
• Now remove the lid and flip over with help of a spoon or fork and cook for another 4-5 minutes so that other side is also cooks well.

 

 

• Remove the ponganalu from the pan. Serve the crispy and hot ponganalu with peanut chutney or chutney of your choice.