Almost every day we see a new food trend making waves on the internet or social media. There are some trends we wish would disappear by the end of the week. But there is one trend in Chennai that we are glad is continuing – Stuffed Paniyaram or Stuffed Kuzhi Paniyaram. The trend is also continuing at Welcomcafe Marina, the all-day dining venue at Welcomhotel Chennai Cathedral Road, which is back after a major makeover.
One of the most delicious snacks in South India, Kuzhi Paniyaram takes its name from the depressions made in the Kuzhi or a special pan, which are made for these delicious dumplings. It is one of the most popular street food dishes in many parts of South India (in Karnataka it is called Guliappa).
Welcomcafe Marina offers a special selection called Taste of Madras that reimagines some of the popular streets of Chennai and beyond. There’s room on the menu for delicious Rasam Ramen and Kozhi (Chicken) Ghee Roast Sliders, but it’s the Stuffed Paniyaram that caught our attention. There is a beans vepudu paniyaram takoyaki dressed with kempu sauce, homemade mayonnaise, sesame seeds, peanuts and bright spinach. There is also a bold play on pork dumplings – pork paniyaram takoyaki, with similar stuffing.
Read also: Chettinad Kara Paniyaram can cause food frenzy and happy tummy
We are seeing many restaurants and bars across the city experimenting with paniyaram. The basic recipe remains the same, the twist is the filling. We have seen chefs getting quite creative with the fillings of these stuffed paniyarams. From salmon and cream cheese to cottage cheese and potatoes, we’ve seen it all. You can try making these paniyarams at home (try our delicious masala stuffed paniyarams – see recipe) or you can try the classic paniyarams (see recipe).
Beans Vepudu Paniyaram Takoyaki – Image Courtesy Welcomhotel Chennai Cathedral Road
Masala Stuffed Kuzhi Paniyaram Recipe
Material
- 3 medium sized potatoes – boiled and mashed
- 1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp red chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1/4 tbsp asafoetida
- 1 sprig curry leaves (finely chopped)
- 2 cups paniyaram batter
- salt as required
- 3-5 tbsp oil
Method:
- Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, salt, red chilli powder, asafoetida and curry leaves. Fry the spices on low flame for a minute, add the mashed potatoes to the tempering and mix well. Keep the stuffing aside.
- Add finely chopped onion, ginger, green chilli and curry leaves to the paniyaram batter; Stir well.
- Add mustard, cumin and asafoetida to the batter and add ‘tadka’.
- Grease the Paniyaram pan with oil and turn on the flame and heat for a minute.
- Put a little oil in each mould. Once the oil is hot, pour 1 scoop of batter into each mold. – Now put a little stuffing in the middle of the batter with a spoon, now add more batter to cover the stuffing. Do not fill the batter till the top.
- Sprinkle some oil and cook for a minute. – Now turn the Paniyaram with the help of a fork, add some more oil and cook till it becomes crisp from both the sides. Best served with coconut chutney. You can also serve it with tomato ketchup.
Read also: Make Authentic South Indian Paniyaram the Age-Old Traditional Way – Watch Recipe Video
Classic Kuzhi Paniyaram Recipe
Material
- 1 cup idli/dosa batter
- Medium sized onion (1) – finely chopped
- 2 green chillies – finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon grated coconut
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon coriander leaves – finely chopped
- salt to taste)
- oil for cooking
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- 2 tsp oil (gingelly/sesame oil works best)
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp urad dal
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1/4 tsp asafoetida
Method:
- Give the mustard seeds, urad dal a ‘temper’, and then add the onions, green chillies, ginger curry leaves and finally asafoetida.
- Fry it on low flame for 2 minutes.
- After turning off the flame, add grated coconut and green coriander. Add salt and mix well.
- Mix this mixture in the batter. This is an important step. The batter should not be thick or watery.
- Mix the batter well.
- Use a paniyaram pan, and pour oil into each mould. Add more oil if you like your paniyaram crunchy. Make sure you do not fill the mold completely with the batter (fill it up to 3/4 level)
- Cover and cook on low flame for about 2-3 minutes (once this happens, cover the pan with a lid). Once the bottom side is cooked, flip to the other side, add a little more oil and then cook again for 2-3 minutes. Use this process for remaining batter.
It tastes best with tomato chutney or spicy chutney. You can also serve it with classic coconut chutney.
