Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1.Cook Tomato Chutney Base

   Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a pan. Add 3-4 medium chopped tomatoes, 4-5 dried red chilies, 2-3 green chilies, and salt to taste. Mix well and cover the pan. Cook on a low to medium flame for about 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes are half-cooked. Then, add 4-5 peeled garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds. Mix once, cover, and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes are soft. Do not let the mixture dry out completely. Switch off the flame and allow the mixture to cool down completely.

2. 2.Grind the Chutney

   Once the tomato mixture has cooled, transfer it to a mixer grinder jar. Add more salt if necessary. Grind the mixture into a fine, smooth chutney.

3. 3.Prepare Chutney Tempering

   Transfer the ground chutney to a serving bowl. In a separate small pan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil. Add 0.5 teaspoon each of mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, and cumin seeds. Also, add 1-2 dried red chilies and a few curry leaves. Fry the tempering ingredients on a low flame until they turn a reddish-brown color. Pour this hot tempering over the chutney and mix well.

4. 4.Prepare Punugulu Batter

   In a mixing bowl, add 0.5 cup of sour curd. Whisk the curd thoroughly until it becomes creamy and there are no lumps. Add 1.5 cups of rice flour to the whisked curd. Mix well with your hands until the mixture is crumbly. Gradually add water, little by little, while mixing, until you achieve a thick, dropping consistency suitable for making fritters. The batter should not be too thin or too thick. Then, add 1 medium chopped onion, 2-3 chopped green chilies, a few chopped curry leaves, 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, and salt to taste. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly into the batter. The batter should be thick enough to hold its shape when dropped into oil.

5. 5.Deep Fry Punugulu

   Heat oil for deep frying in a pan over medium flame. Once the oil is hot, carefully drop spoonfuls of the prepared batter (or use your hands as shown in the video) into the hot oil to form medium-sized punugulu. Avoid overcrowding the pan. Fry the punugulu on a medium flame for about 2 minutes without disturbing them. Then, gently stir them with a slotted spoon, turning them occasionally, until they turn a uniform golden brown and are cooked through. Remove the fried punugulu with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate. Repeat this process for the remaining batter.

6. 6.Serve Hot

   Serve the hot, crispy punugulu immediately with the freshly prepared tomato chutney.