Recipes from Leftover Idli/Dosa Batter

Kuzhi Paniyaram

If you have leftover idli/dosa batter and is a little sour to make any more idlis or dosas, you can make kuzhi paniyaram, that is a delicacy of Tamil Nadu and very delicious and healthy.

Alternatively, you can add grated carrots, capsicums, cauliflower or beetroot or paneer to enhance its nutrition value for your children. If you love chicken/mutton, you could substitute veggies with cooked kheema (mince) of lamb/chicken instead of vegetables.

Punukulu

Punukulu is a delicacy of Andhra Pradesh and is a deep fried snack. It is usually made out of leftover idli/dosa batter and is very simple to make. It can be served with chutney or ketchup. You can either make it with plain batter or add chopped onions, coriander, green chillies and cumin seeds to the batter and pour a tbsp of the thick mixture into the hot oil. 


Bread Pakoras 

Add some finely chopped onions, green chillies and coriander leaves/cilantro to your leftover idli/dosa batter. Cut the edges off a bread slice and cut the bread into four equal halves. Heat some oil in a deep pan. Dip a piece of bread into the batter and then put it gently into the oil. Flip it over after one side has turned deep brown. Drain the pakoras on to a tissue and serve hot with chutney or ketchup.  

Note: Your can also add 1 tsp of finely grated veggies of your choice to make it more nutritious for your child.

Mixed veg Pakoras
 

Another variation from idli/dosa batter is pakoras. Take 3 cups of idli batter and add 1 cup of chickpea flour (besan), ½ cup semolina (rava), 2 cups of grated mixed veggies (of your choice), 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped tomato, 4 green chillies chopped, 2 tbsp chopped cilantro (coriander), 1 tsp cumin seeds, salt to it. Take oil for frying. Note: the batter should be of thick consistency.

Heat oil in a deep pan and drop 1 heaped tbsp of the mixture into the hot oil. Drain on an absorbent tissue. Serve hot with chutney or ketchup.

The video below shows a variation of idli batter pakoras

You can make similar pakoras with left over idli batter, instead of using the MTR rava idli mix, by following the same procedures shown in the video above.

Method - Grease a flat bottom vessel (as shown in the video above) and pour your leftover idli batter into the vessel up to half. Steam it for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and take off the cooked idli gently after it has cooled down. Run a greased knife around the sides and cut them into cubes. Apply some coriander chutney between two cubes, dip them into the chick pea(besan) batter and deep fry till golden brown. Your steaming hot pakoras are ready to eat with chutney, ketchup or any other mayo dip.

Onion, Tomato & Capsicum Uttappam

Uttappam is dosa albeit thicker than a dosa. It is a perfect snack that can be made out of leftover idli batter.
Chop 1 onion, capsicum, tomato, green chilly and coriander leaves, finely. Medium heat a flat non-stick pan and pour a ladle full of thick batter onto the pan and spread lightly and not too thinly. Sprinkle a little of the chopped veggies all over the uttappam. Flip it over and allow the side to cook. Remove from pan once done and serve hot with chutney.

Note: You can substitute veggies with shredded chicken, grated paneer, carrots etc. Sky is the limit, although the base will remain the same.