Samai is known as little millet in English. Samai paniyaram is an easy recipe you can make for breakfast, dinner or an evening snack. It goes well with any chutney – even kids who hesitate to eat millets enjoy this millet paniyaram.
Now let us see how to make samai / little millet kuzhi paniyaram.
- Preparation time – 4 hours and 30 minutes (including soaking time)
- Cooking time – 30 minutes
- Serves – 3
Samai Paniyaram Ingredients
- Samai rice – ½ cup
- Red rice – ¼ cup
- Urad dal – ¼ cup
- Fenugreek – 1 tsp
- Salt – as needed
- Chopped onion – 1 big
- Oil – 1 tblsp
- Mustard – ¼ tsp
- Green chilli – 2, chopped
- Urad dal – ¼ tsp
- Channa dal – ¼ tsp
How to Make Samai Paniyaram – Step by Step
Step 1: Soak and grind
Wash and rinse the red rice, samai rice, urad dal and fenugreek two to three times. Soak for about 4 hours. Then grind in the mixer with salt.
Step 2: Ferment and prepare the seasoning
Keep the batter for fermentation for at least eight hours. Heat a pan, add oil and season with mustard, channa dal and urad dal. Fry the onion nicely, then add salt and green chilli and fry till transparent.
Step 3: Mix and pour into the paniyaram pan
Pour this mixture into the batter and mix well. Grease the kuzhi paniyaram pan with a little oil, then pour the batter into the kuzhis.
Step 4: Cover, turn and cook
Then cover the pan with a lid. Turn to the other side and cook well.
Step 5: Serve
Serve it with onion kara chutney.
Tips for Soft Millet Paniyaram
- For softer paniyaram, you can add 1 teaspoon javvarisi (sago) while soaking the samai.
- You can grind it in the grinder also.
- You can add finely chopped vegetables also.
Why Make Paniyaram with Little Millet
Samai (little millet) is a traditional Tamil grain that is light, easy to cook and full of fibre. Mixed with red rice, urad dal and fenugreek, it makes a batter that ferments well and gives soft, tasty millet paniyaram. The onion and green chilli seasoning makes it so flavourful that children who usually refuse millets happily eat it. It is a simple way to bring millets into your breakfast or evening tiffin without changing the family’s taste.
Problems and Fixes
- Paniyaram is hard: the batter was not fermented enough. Allow at least eight hours, and add 1 teaspoon javvarisi while soaking for extra softness.
- Sticks to the pan: grease each kuzhi with a little oil and heat the pan well before pouring.
- Raw inside: cover with a lid and cook on medium flame before turning.
- Batter too thick: millet absorbs water, so grind with enough water to get a pouring consistency.
Storing the Millet Batter
Keep the fermented batter covered in a steel batter box in the refrigerator and use it within two days. Add the onion seasoning only to the portion you are cooking.
More Paniyaram and Millet Ideas
Try the classic Chettinad kuzhi paniyaram, the festive sweet kuzhi paniyaram, or dosa for breakfast. Serve samai paniyaram with coriander chutney or red chilli chutney.
For your paniyaram batter · swipe →
Samai Paniyaram – Questions
What is samai in English?
Samai is little millet.
How long should samai paniyaram batter ferment?
Ferment the batter for at least eight hours.
How do I make it softer?
Add 1 teaspoon javvarisi (sago) while soaking the samai.
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