Punugulu recipe – A quick evening snack from andhra cuisine made with urad dal and rice batter. Punugulu or punukkulu is a common street food in the coastal regions of Andhra Pradesh. These are crispy deep fried popular snack that are eaten with a spicy chutney. These are similar to goli baje and mysore bonda but made with lentil batter.
Punugulu are often made in most Andhra homes even with left over idli dosa batter that is sour or over fermented batter while some prefer to make them with fresh batter.
There are a few different variations of making punugulu. Some make with maida and they are called maida punugulu. I have shared the recipe of this one too in the recipe card below.
Pesara punukulu, perugu punugulu are some of the other variations to the basic recipe.
I also make punugulu with Vada batter for naivedyam during varalakshmi vratam, Navratri, Lakshmi puja and sankranti. I have shared the recipe here Urad dal bonda
for more similar recipes check,
aratikaya bajji
mixed dal vada
mirapakaya bajji
garelu
alasanda vada
onion pakoda
Preparation for punugulu recipe
1. To make these you will need either 2 cups left over thick idli dosa batter or have to make fresh batter. If you are using left over batter, start from step 4. If you want to make fresh batter, wash soak urad and rice for min 4 hrs.
2. Grind urad dal to a smooth batter with enough water and salt. Do not make it runny. Pour this in a utensil.
3. Grind rice coarsely. Mix it with the batter thoroughly
4. Check the consistency now, the batter should be thicker than the pouring consistency. Refer the pic below. This is the right consistency.
OPTIONAL STEP : If you feel the batter is runny, powder 2 tbsps of powdered poha / attukulu and mix well without lumps. Set side for 10 mins. As i mentioned earlier you can also use semolina or rice flour to thicken the batter. But the ones made with poha are really light and crunchy. Now adjust the consistency of batter, if required add very little water. Check by making 1 or 2 punugulu, if they are hard need to add little water.
How to make crispy punugulu recipe
5. Add cumin, onions. If you haven’t used green chilli while blending add it now.
6. Heat oil till hot, adjust the flame to medium high, not low and not high.
7. Shape the batter to round balls with your fingers and drop them in the hot oil.
8. Fry punugulu till golden color and transfer them on to a kitchen tissue.
How to make punugulu batter
There are no specific measurements followed to make the batter. But it must be thick and not runny. Punugulu can be made with fresh ground batter or with left over fermented idli dosa batter.
Usually many people love them making with sour batter as the fritters taste slightly tangy. Most times I make them with the fresh batter.
They can be made plain just with some cumin and green chilies added. I prefer to add chopped onions, chilies, cumin and coriander leaves.
The right consistency of the batter is the key to making punukulu that are crispy and not oily. Not too thick and not too thin. Thick batter makes your fritters rock hard, while the thin runny batter, makes them oily and soggy too.
If the batter turns runny, many people add few spoons of rice flour or semolina. But my personal experience – they turn hard when additional rice flour is added.
With semolina the fritters turn flat and do not absorb the moisture in the batter. So I usually use poha or atukulu. Just powder and add a bit to the batter to bring it to consistency. They turn out super crunchy and light.
Related Recipes
Andhra punugulu recipe with idli dosa batter
Punugulu recipe
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
Ingredients for punugulu
- 2 cups idli dosa batter thick or ¼ cup urad dal and ¾ cup rice
- 2 tbsps poha or attukulu or rice flour or rava
- Salt to taste
- oil to deep fry as needed
- 2 green chilies chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- ½ tsp cumin or jeera
Instructions
Preparation for punugulu
- You can skip steps 1 to 4 if using idli dosa batter. Wash urad dal and rice separately multiple times till the water looks clear.
- Soak them for at least 4 hrs seperately.
- Grind dal to a smooth batter with just enough water and salt without making it runny. Transfer this to a utensil.
- Grind rice coarsely and mix it well with the dal batter. Check the consistency now, it has to be thicker than pouring consistency. you can refer the step by step pics.
- If the batter is runny, add powdered poha/ attukulu or rice flour or semolina. Set this side for 10 mins. It becomes thicker after it is soaked. Now adjust the consistency, if required, you may add very little water or can proceed as it is if the consistency is right. Check by making few fritters, if they are hard you need to add little water.
- Add cumin, chopped chilies and onions.
How to make punugulu
- Heat oil to hot, adjust the flame to medium high, it must not be too low and not too high.
- Drop a small portion of batter to the oil, the batter has to rise and not sink. This is the right temperature.
- Shape the batter to round balls with your fingers and drop them in the hot oil.
- Fry till golden color and transfer these to paper napkins.
- serve them warm with your favorite chutney
how to make maida punugulu
- mix 3/4 cup maida, 3 tbsp rice flour, 3 tbsp curd, 1 green chili, 1 small onion, 1/2 tsp. chopped ginger, salt as needed and 1/4 tsp soda. Set this aside for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Heat oil and drop small portions of the batter in hot oil. Fry until golden.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Sangeetha says
Hi Swasti, I tried punugulu today with left over dosa batter. I followed your suggestion of powdered poha. It was a hit with family . Thank you very much.
swasthi says
Hi Sangeetha
You are welcome! Glad you all liked it.
🙂
Kanakeswara Pyla says
Very clearly written step by step including tips it is praiseworthy. Thankful to you Swasthi
Cheers
Kanakesh
swasthi says
You are welcome!
Thank you!
Seavanthi says
Hi Swasthi u made my ocassions tastefull. I tried many of ur recipes and succeeded. Thanks a lot
swasthi says
Hi Sravanthi
Thanks for trying the recipes. Happy to know they are useful
🙂
Shanthi says
Hi
Mam u have not mentioned the proportion for urad and rice
swasthi says
HI Shanti
I have mentioned it in the recipe card. It is 1 : 3
1/4 cup cup dal and 3/4 cup rice
Anita says
Hello Swasthi,
your recipes are simple and delicious. Thank you so much for sharing.
shoba says
I really love u r recepies and most of them I had tried also.all are simply amazing.i had seen lots or sites for food recepies but I found ,ur way of making the dish look wonderful and it’s so clear n understanding I’m really the fan of yours…n now had recemmmoned many people also and I appreciate your efforts ☺️
swasthi says
Hi shoba
Glad to know the recipes are useful. Thanks a lot for the comment it made me very very happy.
🙂
Kavitha says
Hi Swasthi,
How is punugulu recipe different from mysore bonda recipe?
swasthi says
Hi Kavitha
Punugulu uses rice while mysore bonda does not, punugulu can be made with varying proportions of rice and dal. I also use poha which gives that light and extra crunch like the ones made from stone ground batter.
Actually mysore bonda is made using maida and curd. But what I have shared is the tamil nadu version of mysore bonda where rice flour is optional and is used just in 1 to 2 tbsps qty. No rice is used
Punugulu is usually made with left over idli, dosa batter especially after it turns sour.
Neha awal says
HI Swathi,
Wonderful recipe. i sometimes use MTR idli and dosa mixes (powdered and you just have to add water )…, Can i combine idli and dosa mixes to make punugulu?
Thanks
Neha
swasthi says
Welcome Neha
I guess it should work. You can try by frying one to two of them first. If they dissolve in oil, Just put the batter in the mixer and blend for 1 to 2 mins. I have never used mtr mixes so unable to guide you.
Binaifer says
Hi. Your chutney recipes are so simple and delicious. I have never made South Indian food on my life and thanks to your step by step guide, my kids and husband loves it. Thanks so much. You are an angel.
swasthi says
Welcome Bina
So glad you liked the recipes. Thanks for trying
shubh says
hey..i ws surfng randomly..n m so happy 2 land here…
ur recipes are just WOW..
swasthi says
Thanks Shubh
Hema says
Nice receiptes Swathi, I will definitely try them.
Hema says
Nice Receipes Swathi, I will definitely try them.
Asmita patil says
Fantastic
swasthi says
Thanks
Niki says
Hey swathi all ur recipes are mind blowing spl north Indian food n can u plz post samosa recipe so I can enjoy ur that recipe too….
swasthi says
Hello Niki,
Thanks for the feedback. Yes i will share the samosa recipe soon
Shabana says
its all recipe i tride its goos
srikantam6chandrasekhar says
i love bonda lot & lot
srikantam6chandrasekhar says
what an taste Chandra from Nellore
PT says
crispy bonda.. makes me hungry 🙂