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Vellai paniyaram
White rice and urad puffs
வெள்ளை பணியாரம்: soft, snow-white Chettinad puffs of rice and urad, fried pale in oil (plus 3 hours soaking)
Vellai paniyaram, 'white paniyaram', is the tiffin of Chettinad that surprises outsiders: a rice and urad batter thinned with a little milk-free water is spooned into hot oil and pulled out while it is still pale and pillowy, crisp only at the very edge. In Karaikudi homes it comes to the table at evening tiffin with spicy kara chutney, a tomato kosamalli or kathirikai gothsu. The key mistake is overheating the oil: the paniyaram browns and loses its signature white colour, so keep the heat at medium and fry quickly. Chef's tip: a teaspoon of sugar in the batter helps the puffs rise without colouring, and spooning oil over the top makes them balloon.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the batter
- 7 oz raw rice (ponni or sona masuri)soaked 3 hours
- 1 ¾ oz whole skinned urad dalsoaked 3 hours
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¾ cup waterroughly
For frying
- 2 ½ cups sunflower or groundnut oilfor deep-frying
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Drain 7 oz raw rice (ponni or sona masuri) and 1 ¾ oz whole skinned urad dal and grind with about half the ¾ cup water to a very smooth batter.
12 minStep 3: Heat 2 ½ cups sunflower or groundnut oil in a small, deep, heavy pan, filled no more than a third full, over medium to 325°F. A drop of batter should rise straight away and stay white. Keep an eye on the pan at all times.
6 minStep 4: Stir the batter, then pour in a small ladle (about 30 ml) from just above the oil. It should spread into a round and puff up within seconds.
3 minStep 5: Spoon oil over the top for 20–30 seconds, flip once and cook 30 seconds more until set, puffed and still white with only a faint golden rim. Lift out with a slotted spoon.
15 minStep 6: Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with kara chutney; they soften as they cool.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vellai paniyaram take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of raw rice (ponni or sona masuri)?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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