Kuzhi paniyaram with Madurai Kara Chutney

 Kuzhi paniyaram with Madurai Kara Chutney, most famous combo of South-Indian Recipe. This can be taken as a light tiffin along with a cup of tea :) Paniyaram, is made in a special mold called the paniyarakkal. Madurai Kara chutney is a spicy side dish, goes well with idly, dosa and paniyaram.

Madurai, Tamil Nadu, is often referred as Temple city and  Thoonga Nagaram i.e. a city that never sleeps, which means in midnight you can have steaming idlis, egg dosas, kari dosas, kothu parotta, parottas and world famous Jigarthanda juice. I personally like Madurai because of the Meenakshi Amman temple (Meenakshi, my given name, we have a custom to keep our ancestors name for the grandchild, I'm lucky enough to get my aachi's (grand mother) name), and the second thing i love about Madurai is Madurai food :)

 Ingredients

For Paniyaram

• Idly Batter - 1 cup 
• Chopped Onion - 1 
• Green chilly - 3 nos 
• Curry leaves - As needed  
• Urad Dal - For tempering 
• Cumin seeds - For tempering
• Mustard - For tempering 
• Salt - As needed 
• Oil - For tempering
• Asafoetida - A pinch

1. Heat the pan, add 1 tsp of oil and start to add asafoetida, cumin seeds, urad dal and mustard. Add curry leaves
2. Add the finely chopped Green chillies and onion, fry for about 2-3 minutes till the onions get cooked 
3. Add this fried onion mixture to the idly batter and mix well. 
4. Heat the paniyarakkal and grease it with oil 
5. Pour the batter in each hollow and cook in medium low flame
6. Turn the paniyaram and cook for another 2 minutes or till golden brown

For Madurai Kara Chutney

• Finely chopped Onion  - 1 no 
  
• Sliced Onion - 1 no
• Finely chopped tomato - 1 no 
• Red dry chilly - 4 nos 
• Curry leaves - for tempering 
• Urad dal - 1 tsp 
• Mustard - 1/2 tsp 
• Salt - As needed 
• Red chilly powder - 1 tsp 
• Turmeric powder -  1/4 tsp 
• Asafoetida - A pinch
• Oil - 2 tsp 

Chutney base mixture 

1. Heat the pan, add 1 tsp of oil, add 1/2 of urad dal and fry till golden brown 
2. Add the red dry chillies and fry for 1 min in medium flame 
3. Add the sliced onion and fry till the raw smell of onion vanishes 
4. Add tomato and cook for 5 min in low flame 
5. Once the mixture cools down, grind them all into a smooth paste without adding water. 
6. Keep this chutney base aside 
   

Kara Chutney 

1. Heat the pan, add 1 tsp of oil and add Asafoetida and the remaining urad dal, fry till golden brown. 
2. Add mustard and curry leaves 
3. Add the finely chopped onion and cook till the onions turn golden brown in low flame 
4. Add the turmeric powder and after 1 min add the chilly powder and cook 
5. Once the onion is cooked well, add the chutney base and saute well
6. Add little water as per your need and cook in low flame 
7. Transfer to the bowl and serve hot