Punugulu Recipe (Punukulu)

Preparation

1. Take 1 cup idli batter or dosa batter in a bowl. Let the batter come to room temperature, if you have refrigerated it.
2. Add the rava (optional), chopped onions, curry leaves, green chillies, ginger, coriander leaves and cumin seeds. 
3. Add salt if required. Mix very well.

Frying Punugulu

1. Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan. Test a small portion of batter in medium hot oil and begin frying it.
2. Once done, check the texture after cooling it a bit. The outside should be crisp and the inside should be soft and fluffy. If the outside is too crisp and absorbing a lot of oil, then add some more rava or rice flour to the batter. If the texture is dense, then some more water needs to be added to the batter. 
3. The punugulu batter should not be very thick or thin, but have a slightly thick consistency or be medium-thick. If the batter is of the right consistency, then you don't need to add either water or rava or rice flour.
4. If the batter is very thick, you can add a few tablespoons of water.
5. If its thin, then add a few tablespoons of rice flour or rava.
6. Once you get the right texture after frying the small portion of batter, then add spoonfuls of the batter in medium hot oil.
7. When the sides become pale golden and crisp, turn over each fritter.
8. Continue to fry them in medium hot oil turning them a few times for even browning.
9. Fry them till they become crisp and golden.
10. Remove fried punugulu with a slotted spoon and drain excess oil.
11. Keep on kitchen towels to soak excess oil.
12. Serve Punugulu hot or warm with coconut chutney or peanut chutney or any preferred chutney.