Instant Ragi Appe/Paniyaram | Protein Rich

Start your day with a healthy note with this easy, quick, crisp, soft and super healthy breakfast that will be loved by your child and entire family.

Paniyaram or Appe is one of my favourite things to have for breakfast from South Indian Cuisine. Not just because they are extremely easy to make but also because they are healthy with right balance of protein, carbs and fiber.

This is an instant version of the traditional recipe. You can check out the traditional batter recipe here – Fermented Ragi Idli. They are soft on the inside and crisp on the outside. They are best enjoyed with a spicy green chutney or South Indian Coconut Chutney or Kara or Tomato Chutney. I personally love these with spicy green chutney.

More About Instant Ragi Paniyaram

This instant paniyaram recipe is made using sooji (rava), ragi, curd and vegetables. They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The crispiness comes from rava.

I have made this recipe using normal rava which is also called Bombay rava or regular durum wheat. While I have used regular homemade curd which was a day old to make appe batter, you can also use buttermilk or yogurt for this recipe.

While the traditional paniyaram require a lot of planning from soaking to fermenting but this recipe wins hands down when you are short of time and are craving a yummy South Indian breakfast. You may feel a great deal of difference in taste when you prepare instant idli or dosa because fermented batter tastes a lot different and better than the instant batter. However, this instant appe recipe comes quite close to how the traditional ones taste and will definitely not disappoint you.

I would highly recommend using a nonstick appe or paniyaram pan instead of cast iron appe pan. It will be a lot easier to cook these in a nonstick pan. Cast iron pan will require too much oil or ghee and there is a high chance that appe from this instant recipe will stick to cast iron pan.

This recipe uses baking soda to hasten the fermentation process but if you don’t want to use baking soda, you can also use instant yeast for fermentation.

Important

I would not recommend using eno for this recipe or any other recipe because first of all it is an antacid and the company advises not to use for children below 12 years. Many people use Eno at home for quick idli/dosa fermentation without knowing that it can greatly harm your child’s stomach lining and mess up with their gut. Safe options for quick fermentation are baking soda or yeast. This recipe uses baking soda for quick fermentation.

How to Make Instant Ragi Appe/Paniyaram

For Batter

1. Take equal quantities of suji (rava) and ragi flour in a large bowl.

2. To this add homemade curd or yogurt or buttermilk.

3. Mix it well to make a smooth batter which is neither to thick nor too thin. It should be thick but with flowing consistency. Keep the bowl aside and let it rest for 15-20 minutes. This will help rava to fluff up and become soft.

4. In the meanwhile, chop vegetables of your choice. I have used capsicum, onion, carrots and some radish leaves. You can use any seasonal green leaves like spinach. I have also added some minced ginger and curry leaves for flavour.

5. In a pan, heat a tbsp of oil. To this add some mustard seeds cumin seeds and asafetida (hing). Let it the seeds splutter.

6. Now add chopped curry leaves and cook for 10 seconds.

7. Tip in onion and cook them till they become transparent.

8. Then add other finely chopped vegetables you are using except the greens. Season it with salt and some red chili powder. Mix well and cook the vegetables for a minute.

9. Then add the green you are using and cook for another minute or till leaves shrink and vegetables are partially cooked. Remove it from heat and transfer the vegetables onto a plate for it to cool.

10. Check the prepared batter. The batter will further thicken because the rava will become fluffy after being soaked. If the batter has become too thick add water, little at a time, to get thick but flowing consistency batter.

11. Season the batter with salt, red chili powder and some podi. Podi is optional but it adds a fabulous flavour. You can check out Podi recipe on the blog.

12. Now add prepared vegetables and mix the batter well. Add baking soda and mix gently. Let the batter rest for 2 minutes.

For Cooking

13. Meanwhile, heat the paniyaram pan to medium heat and add oil or ghee in the cavities. When the oil is hot, fill the cavities with the batter till just the rim.

14. Cover and cook the base for 2-3 minutes or till the top sets and bottom becomes golden and crisp.

16. Flip the appe once the bottom is cooked. Add couple of drops of oil or ghee and cook the top side for 2-3 minutes on medium flame.

Tip: To check if the appe are done poke it with a toothpick in the center. It should come out clean and not moist with batter. Do not attempt to pull out appe when they are still soft because will just be a big mess. Flip with the help of a skewer or wooden spatula only when the bottom is thoroughly cooked.

17. Remove the appe onto a plate. Serve them hot with either spicy green chutney or South Indian coconut chutney or Tomato (kara) chutney.

Tips and Notes

1. Resting time of the batter is super important. This is what will soften the rava and make appe soft, fluffy and crisp. The more time you give for batter to rest the softer and fluffier will be the insides.
2. Store any leftover batter in the refrigerator and use within 2-3 days. Stored batter appe may not become that fluffier as the fresh ones because the effect of the baking soda will wear off.
3. After the resting period the batter might become too thick so you may have to add some water to get flowing consistency batter. Make sure to add little water a time to adjust the consistency.

Storage

You can store the leftover batter in the refrigerator for 2 days. However, I would prefer to use the batter on the same day. The effect of baking soda wears off on refrigeration so, you might have to add more to add lightness and airiness to the batter.

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