Ragi Appe (Paniyaram) — Bite-Sized, Barely Any Oil

Soft ragi appe — kuzhi paniyaram, if you grew up calling them that — cooked in a dimpled pan with barely a drop of oil in each mould. Twenty minutes, and lunchboxes come home empty.

This is the idli batter

Exactly the same batter as ragi idli: premix, water, curd and Eno. The only difference is where it cooks. If you have idli batter sitting in the fridge from yesterday, stir in fresh Eno and it becomes appe. Nothing is wasted.

Why an appe pan and not a kadai

The dimples do two jobs. They shape the appe, and they let each one cook on a curved surface with a few drops of oil rather than swimming in it. That is the whole appeal — something that eats like a fried snack without being one.

Ingredients

• 100g Kiro Ragi Premix
• 100ml water
• 50ml curd
• A pinch of salt
• ½ tsp Eno fruit salt
• 1 tbsp finely chopped onion and curry leaves, optional
• 1 tsp oil, for the pan

Method

1. Mix the premix with the water and curd into a smooth, thick batter. Add salt.
2. Rest 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the chopped onion and curry leaves, if using.
4. Just before cooking, add the Eno and fold gently — do not knock the air out.
5. Heat an appe pan on medium and put a few drops of oil in each mould.
6. Fill each mould about three-quarters full. Cover and cook 3–4 minutes until the tops set.
7. Turn each one with a spoon or skewer and cook 2 minutes more until golden all over.
8. Serve hot with coconut or tomato chutney.

Tips

• Add the Eno last. Fold it in and start pouring immediately. Wait five minutes and the lift is gone.
• Three-quarters full, not full. They rise. Overfilled moulds spill and stick together.
• A skewer turns them cleanly. A spoon works but tends to tear the set top.
• Cover for the first side. The trapped steam cooks the centre while the base colours.

Questions

Is appe the same as paniyaram? Yes. Appe in Maharashtra and Karnataka, kuzhi paniyaram in Tamil Nadu, appe or gunta ponganalu elsewhere. Same dish, same pan.

Can I make them sweet? Leave out the onion and salt, add jaggery powder and a pinch of cardamom to the batter.

Can I use leftover idli batter? That is the best use for it. Add fresh Eno just before cooking — the original lift will have gone.

How many does one pack make? A 300g pack makes twenty-four to thirty appe.

One pack, ten dishes

The same premix makes chilla, idli, dhokla, uttapam, pancakes, waffles, pizza, idli fry and tacos. All ten, with a batch calculator and tick-off steps, are in The Ragi Cookbook.

Shop Kiro Ragi Premix — 13g protein, no maida, no preservatives.