PORIULLU / NUTS & LENTILS MIXTURE (KARNATAKA STYLE)

Poriullu is a famous Iyengar (Hebbar, Mandya) snack prepared during special occasions. It is a spicy nuts and lentils mixture (Chivda). This is a healthy, colourful tea-time snack. Any lentils can be used. However, the soaking time differs for each lentil. In karnataka, during broad beans season, similar type of mixture is made using Pachai mochai (field beans or bakla).

NOTE: Raw peanuts or roasted peanuts can be used. Moong dhal, mochai kottai (navy beans) can also be added. Bengal gram can be used instead of pottukadalai. Moong dhal & bengal gram should be soaked for 2 hours and mochai kottai should be soaked overnight. Black chick peas (karuppu kondaikadalai) can be substituted for kabuli chana.

If the oil is too hot, the lentils will become too hard to bite. So, ENSURE MEDIUM HEAT OF OIL.

INGREDIENTS:

Peanuts - 1/4 cup
Green gram - 1/4 cup
Kabuli chana - 1/4 cup
Dried green peas - 1/4 cup
Pottu kadalai (Roasted gram) - 1/4 cup
Cashews - 15
Salt - as per taste ( I used a little more than 1/4 tsp.)
Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp.
Hing - a pinch
Turmeric powder - a generous pinch
Oil - for deep frying
Ghee - 1 tsp. (for tempering)
Metal strainer - 1

METHOD:

Soak dried green peas and kabuli chana separately overnight. Soak green gram and raw peanuts separately for 2 hours. Drain each item separately and dry it in a clean towel for half an hour.

Heat oil in a kadai. Ensure medium heat of oil. Deep fry all the items one by one, by immersing the metal strainer in oil. Transfer the items one by one to a wide bowl. Deep fry the pottukadalai also and add it to the bowl.

In another pan, heat ghee and temper with hing, turmeric powder and chilli powder. Add this to the bowl of mixture alongwith required amount of salt. Mix well by tossing the bowl. Spicy poriullu is ready.