Sweet and Savoury Millet Paniyaram

Millets in may series post 17- Sweet and Savoury Millet Paniyaram

Back home, in our village, paniyaram is not just a tiffin item, it is a special dish. This is what my mom makes during Diwali. Whenever I go home, sweet paniyaram will always be waiting to welcome me. So, this dish is very close to heart. Looking back, I am surprised how I never once considered making these cuties at home. I have always waited to go back to my mom’s place to savor them. But not anymore! I made my first batch of paniyarams a yesterday and from now onwards, I can make and enjoy them as and when I like 😍 !

Back to the dish. The recipe was given by my friend Sneha. You would never guess that millets are a part of them until the cook herself/ himself tells you…so, ya, the kids won’t have an idea 😎. Both the versions were loved. In the savoury version, the carrot, coconut and onions added flavor and crunch. You can enjoy these with chutney. As for the sweet version, the jaggery, coconut, ellaichi made it traditionaly sweet. But what I enjoyed the most was how cute and fluffy they looked 😘. Have this for breakie or send it to school…either way, kids are gonna love it!   

Soaking time: 4 hrs| Fermentation time: overnight | Cooking time: 15 to 20 minutesCourse: Breakfast/snack: Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients:

For batter:

Foxtail millet- 2 cups

Idli rice: 1 cup

Urad dal- ½ cup

Salt- as needed

For sweet version:

Jaggery powder- ¾ to 1 cup

Cardamom powder- ¼ tsp

Grated coconut- ¼ cup

 Cashews- a few

Ghee- 1 tsp

For savoury version:

Onion- 1

Carrot- 1 (grate and keep it)

Grated coconut- ¼ cup

Curry leaves- a few

Green chilies- 3 to 4 (cut into small pieces)

Oil- 1 tsp

Oil and ghee- for cooking the panniyarams

Method:

1.      Wash, clean and soak foxtail millet, idly rice and urad dal, together in water for 4 hours. Then grind it in a wet grinder or mixer grinder into a paste.

2.      Now split the batter into two equal portions, one for sweet and the other for savoury version. For the savoury version add appropriate salt and mix well. For the sweet version just two pinches of salt and mix well.

3.      Ferment both the batters overnight.

Sweet version:

1.      Take the jaggery power and 5 to 6 tablespoons of water in a vessel. Let it boil for a minute or two. Add this jaggery syrup to the batter.

2.      Fry cashews and grated coconut in a tsp of ghee, for a minute. Add it to the batter. Add cardamom powder to the batter. Mix everything well.

Savoury version:

1.      Fry onion, cuury leaves and green chilies in a tsp of oil until slightly golden in colour. Add it to the batter.

2.      Add grated carrot and coconut to the batter. Mix everything well.

Making paniyaram

1.      Heat paniyaram pan on stove. Add a little oil to the paniyaram holes. Pour the batter into it.

2.      Close with a lid and cook for two to three minutes. Open and flip it over and close again. Once it is cooked both sides, remove and serve it hot. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Notes:

·        This can be made with any millet of your choice.

·        Fermentation is necessary for making paniyarams.

·        Don’t forget to add two pinches of salt for sweet version. It enhances the sweetness of the dish.

·        You can add ¼ spoon of baking soda to the batter, just before cooking. This yields fluffy paniyarams. However, this is purely optional.

·        Use ghee while cooking sweet version.

·        Increase or decrease jaggery quantity according to your sweetness preference.

Step by step pictures 

 wash, clean and soak foxtail millet,

idly rice and urad dal in water for 4 hours

 grind everything into a fine batter

split the batter into two eqaul portions

for sweet and savoury version.

add appropriate salt for savour version

for sweet version just add two pinches of salt.

ferment the batter overnight 

 for sweet version fry cashews and 

grated coconut in ghee

 make a jaggery syrup with jaggery powder

and few tablespoons of water

 add the jaggery syrup and fried 

cashews and coconut to the batter

mix well

 for savoury version fry onion and 

green chilies in oil until slightly golden

 add the fried onions and chilies, grated

coconut and carrot to the batter

mix well

 to make panniyarams, heat the paniyaram 

pan on stove. apply oil into all the holes

pour the batter into the holes. close 

 and cook for two to three minutes.

open the lid and flip it over.

close and cook again.

once cooked, serve it hot.