This punugulu recipe makes a delicious South Indian street food commonly sold on the sea beaches of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Make a trip to the coastal regions of south India and you’ll find this savory snack everywhere. These lip-smacking crispy fritters are very popular as an evening snack with hot filter coffee. They make a delicious side dish for your main-course lunch as well. This snack is an Andhra cuisine specialty which means you get to enjoy an exotic blend of spices and a little bit of heat too. With its beautiful crispy texture, it will be hit among the kids as well!
Packing this for your kid’s lunch? Make sure you pack them in an insulated kids lunch box or in your kids snack boxes.
Health Benefits
Punugulu is rich in proteins which are needed for the repair of cells and growth of the body. They are also low in fat which is an indication that even weight watchers can consume them moderately.
Ingredients
cup rice: 1
cup urad dal: 1/3
onion: 1
tbsp semolina: 1
green chili: 1
tbsp chopped coriander leaves: 2
tsp salt: 1
tsp finely chopped ginger: 1/2
tsp cumin: 1/2
cups oil — for frying: 2
cups water: 4
How To Make Punugulu Recipe
- Wash rice and urad dal in a large bowl. Soak rice and urad dal in 4 cups of water in a large bowl for 5 hours.
- Strain the water completely from the soaked rice and urad dal. Grind the rice and dal to a coarse batter with little water. Ensure that the batter is thick enough.
- Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add semolina to the batter and keep aside for 15 minutes.
- Finely chop the green chili and onion. Add chopped chili, ginger, and onion to the batter and stir well. Add the salt and cumin to the batter.
- Pour oil in a pan and heat for deep frying.
- Check the consistency of batter by dropping a small quantity in the oil. If the batter rises without spreading, it is of the right consistency. In case the batter spreads, add a tsp of semolina to the batter.
- Make round balls of the batter and put them in the hot oil. Fry the fritters until golden in color and crispy on both the sides.
Punugulu can also be made using idli-dosa batter instead of grinding the rice and urad dal for an instant snack.
Trivia
The pungulu recipe is based on rice. Did you know rice has been cultivated for almost 5000 years now? Rice is considered auspicious in many cultures and is a part of traditional ceremonies. In almost all cultures, rice is thrown over the heads of the bride and the groom for blessing them with fertility and good fortune.