Besan sooji kachumber paniyaram

When you have to whip up something quick and non-fussy for lunch everyday, you soon run out of ideas. Right now, my kids will be more than happy if I feed them paniyarams or curd-rice every day, but I know that I shouldn't push my luck too much, or they will just stop having both of them.
This was something I whipped up on the spur of the moment, and which was a real hit with the kids!

Ingredients:
4 heaped serving spoons besan
1 heaped serving spoon sooji/ rawa
2 serving spoons leftover kachumber (mine had cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions in lime juice)
salt, if required
a pinch of baking soda

Method:
Mix all the ingredients into a batter, and keep aside for about 15 minutes
Add the baking soda, and mix well to aereate.
Grease a paniyaram pan with a bit of ghee, and pour the batter into the mounds. Cook on a low flame, and when the paniyaram starts to pull away, turn it over till the other side cooks too.
Serve with coconut chutney or ketchup

Pazham bonda

Have I told you I love my paniyaram pan? So much, that when my maid misplaced it a few weeks back, I rushed to the market the very next day, and got myself a new one. And given how I love procrastinating, that's saying a lot!
So when I saw this recipe for pazham bonda, I wondered if I could adapt it for the paniyaram pan. You'll never know till you try it out, I told myself, and made it the very same day. Wonder of wonders, the younger one (who is the world's least adventurous and most fussy eater) loved it. Which means, I am definitely going to make it again, and yet again.

1 cup of Wheat flour
1/2 cup of Plain flour (maida)
1 (soggy) banana, mashed
Jaggery, to taste
1-2 cups drinking water
A pinch of baking powder
Cooking oil

Method
Combine all the ingredients above into a batter (similar in consistency as dosa batter). 

Set aside to rest for about 3-4 hours. You can leave it for longer if you have the time as well.
Heat a paniyaram pan, put a few drops of oil into each of the moulds, and pour the dough into them. Cook on a low flame, till it starts leaving the sides, turn around and let the other side cook too.
Drain and place the bonda on a clean kitchen towel.
Serve hot with tea or coffee.

Aloo bonda

Ever since I had a "Eureka" moment, and used the paniyaram pan for making dahi-bhallas, I have been thinking of new ways to push the barrier. After pakodas, muffins, and sundry other stuff, one of the last bastions of "deep fried" food has been broken.

Presenting Aloo bonda/ Batata Vada made on the paniyaram pan. Since I wasn't sure if I would be able to pull it off, I made this with aloo stuffing left over from making aloo-parathas, but from now on, I am going to make it for itself.

2-3 potatoes

1 onion

1 green chilli

1/2 tsp haldi powder

salt to taste

cooking oil

For the batter

4 tbsp besan

salt, red chilli powder, dhania powder to taste

Method
Pressure cook the potatoes for 2 whistles. After it cools down, peel and mash well.
Cut the onions and green chillis into tiny pieces.
Mix the potatoes, onions, green chillies, salt and haldi powder well.

Make a batter, of dropping consistency.

Make balls a few milimeters less than the diameter of the paniyaram pan's mould. Dip the balls in the batter, and place in the paniyaram pan. Drizzle a few drops of oil in each of the moulds, and cook on a low flame till it starts coming out. Turn over, and cook the other side.

It doesn't taste exactly as good as the deep fried version does, but unless you know the difference, you may not be able to make out.

Shallow fried pakodas

I was craving pakodas yesterday afternoon, but just didn't want to go through the trouble of taking all that oil out to make a couple of pakodas for myself. Paniyaram pan and a little bit of ingenuity to the rescue. It was okay- NOT like the real stuff, but good enough for the effort put in. And with this success, kadhi chawal will become a lot more accessible too.

Chop 1/2 medium onion, and 1 green chilli
To 1/3 cup besan, add jeera pwd, dhania pwd, red chilli pwd, salt (all to taste), and make a smooth batter with 3 tbsp buttermilk.
Mix the onions and green chillies.
Grease the paniyaram pan, pour in the batter and allow it to cook on low heat till one side is done. Turn it over and cook the other side.

It doesn't taste anywhere near as good as real pakodas do, but considering the convenience, it is well worth a try.

Paniyaram with vegetables

The kids wanted paniyaram, mom wanted them to have their veggies. This was the compromise.

Soak 2 measures boiled rice and 1 measure urad dal overnight, along with 1 tsp fenugreek seeds. Grind it smoothly, with minimal water, and let it ferment for 6 hours. The consistency should be thicker than for dosa batter (more like idli batter).
To the batter, add an appropriate quantity of steamed veggies chopped fine (I used carrots and beans because I had both, but you can experiment), or grated veggies (carrots would work fine), chopped dhania patta, and zeera powder and salt to taste.
Rub ghee on the paniyaram pan, pour the batter into the mould and allow it to cook on low heat. When they start to pull away from the edges, turn them around and allow it to cook further.
Serve hot.