Gunta Pongadalu / Kuzhi Paniyaram

Ponganalu is a popular breakfast or snack item in regions like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu (Kuzhi Paniyaaram) in South India. Ponganalu are small, round, and savoury dumplings made from a batter consisting of fermented rice and urad dal (black gram). They are traditionally cooked in a special pan with multiple round moulds. They are also made sweet in Karnataka using ripe banana, rice, and coconut.

Traditionally, the preparation involves soaking rice and urad dal, grinding them into a smooth batter, and allowing it to ferment. The fermented batter is then mixed with salt and poured into moulds of the Ponganalu pan. Additional ingredients like chopped onions, green chilies, coriander leaves, and cumin seeds are often added to enhance the flavour, as I did in the recipe here.

Once poured into the moulds, the Ponganalu need to be cooked on medium flame until they become golden brown and crispy on the outside while maintaining a soft and fluffy texture inside. They are typically served with coconut chutney or tomato chutney, but I served them with Maagai mixed in coconut yoghourt.

Gunta Ponganalu are something I ate only a few times growing up. Since I started living in Hyderabad again after not being in India for 25 years, I found the pan with little moulds very interesting, and the results of the end dish were magical! I started using millet dosa or millet idli batter with added vegetables to make Ponganalu to impress my little one as idlis were too boring for him.

This particular version of Gunta Ponganalu was made with soaked Mung Dal as we didn’t plan ahead on a festive day! Here is the recipe for Mung Dal Gunta Ponganalu. This recipe is even better and more nutritious done with sprouted mung beans. Remember that your batter should be thick and not watery.

Ponganalu will take very little oil if the pan is well-seasoned. I use either a cast-iron pan or stoneware, and both work amazingly well. I do not recommend nonstick pans at all, as there is too much research showing their negative effects. 

Growing up, when my mom didn’t have enough time or inclination to make a chutney to go with Idlis or Dosas she would simply mix yoghourt with one of the pickles, mainly Maagai (a variety of mango pickle) That is what I did exactly to serve these Mungbean Ponganalu. 

Enjoy making these high protein and delicious morsels!