Paniyaram happens to be a classic Chettinad recipe that is usually had for breakfast or as an evening tiffin. They can be made either as a sweet one or a savory according to our taste buds. In my household everyone prefers the savory one very much and very recently I had exchanged my old pan for a new non stick pan as I felt that it gave good results.
Paniyarams are a great way to make the kids eat food, that they do not love to eat in general, spinach especially. I have stuffed the paniyarams with Aloo methi subzi, Carrot Poriyal, Sweet Potato Poriyal to mention a few. You can use any stir fry that you had made for the day as stuffing.
For this week’s Avant garde Cookies blog hop I had to visit Priya Sreeram and with her space being a treasure trove of recipes with many a fancy names as by-liners, my first attempt was, these irresistible Nutella Brownies that will be a perfect treat for any chocolate lover but as I could not manage clicking them, I had to opt for this Stuffed paniyarams as it is also made at my own home very often but as usual which I never bothered to post as of now.
| Mushroom Stuffed Kuzhipaniyaram (Ebelskivers) | 
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Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 15 mins | Makes: 14
Ingredients:
- Idli Batter – 1 cup
- Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
- Urad dal – 2 tsp
- Asafetida – 1/8 tsp
- Curry leaves – 1 sprig (optional)
For the Stuffing:
- Onion – 1
- Capsicum (Bell peppers) – 1
- Mushrooms – 1 carton / 200 gms
- Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
- Black pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
- Turmeric powder – 1/8 tsp
- Coriander leaves – 2 tsp
- Salt – to taste
- Oil – 2 tsp
Instructions:
1. Chop the onions, mushrooms, capsicum, coriander leaves finely and keep aside.
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2. Heat a pan with 1 tsp oil. Temper with mustard seeds. When they splutter, add urad dal and roast till golden brown and transfer the tempering to the batter and mix well. Heat the same pan with 2 tsp oil and onions and sauté till translucent.
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3. Add the chopped mushrooms and capsicum and sauté for a minute till they soften. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, black pepper powder, coriander leaves and cook over low flame till the raw smell disappears and all get cooked well and become dry. This should take 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and keep aside.
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4. Grease the holes of paniyaram pan with 1/8 tsp oil. If you are using a non stick pan even this is not needed. But I greased it. Fill the batter 1/4th full using a small scoop or ladle.
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5. Using a small scoop place the filling over the batter and once again cover the filling with batter making sure that the batter do not run into the other holes. You can do this by keeping the pan on the counter and then place the filled up pan on the stove and cook it.
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6. Keep the flame on low, cover with a lid and cook for 2-3 minutes or till you see the edges beginning to change color. Using a skewer (One is usually provided with a pan when you buy) or a spoon, gently turn over and let it once again cook for another 2 minutes till done.
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7. Take the pan off stove and tilt the pan over a plate for them to fall. Continue with the rest of the batter. They will be soft and spongy.
8. Serve hot with either Coconut chutney or Tomato chutney. As it is already stuffed and spicy, you can even eat them as it is without any accompaniments.
Notes:
1. If you are short on time, just mix the entire filling into the batter and continue to make the paniyarams. They do not make any difference in taste.
2. Make sure that the batter is fresh and thick and not too sour.
3. My kids do not like to picking out the curry leaves, so I did not use them. if using make sure you chop them too.
4. Make sure you do not overfill the cups, else the edges will stick together and you cannot turn them individually.
This is off to the Avant Garde Cookies