Deliciously crispy Dill flavored Lentil Fritters makes for a great snack or breakfast. A recipe that’s light on the oil and easy to make. Do try it today!
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Why Hot Breakfast is good for you!
There is a constant struggle for a home chef to create hot breakfasts on a busy day. Many a times, we all end up having just a fruit, a smoothie or a bowl of cereal and milk. Though that is not wrong, but there are certain benefits of eating a hot meal, first thing in the morning.
- Instantly wakes you up
- Provide stamina to get on with the day
- Helps focus better
- Helps boost metabolism
- Consuming foods that are high in nutrients gives your body a boost of energy at the start of the day
- Prevents you from overeating at lunch
We encourage you to take out 15 minutes in the morning to enjoy a proper sit-down breakfast and reap all of these breakfast benefits.
Cooking in an Appe Pan
I know and understand that we all have busy schedules on weekdays and can’t all be cooking elaborate breakfasts. That is why I prefer batter-based recipes. When I prepare the batter, I do it so it lasts for at least a couple of days and then refrigerate it. By doing so, my morning meals become relatively easy. I just quickly put together waffles, pancakes, steamed cakes or fritters like these using the batter at hand. Besides the Waffle maker
, Toaster
and Pancake pan
, there is another piece of kitchen equipment that is very handy and useful – The Appe Pan
. It’s also known as the Paniyaram pan in Indian cuisine or as the Aebleskiver Pan in Danish cuisine. This pan is is available in cast iron and non stick varieties and can be used to make both sweet and savory dishes. Some of the benefits of using this pan are:
- Can cook a dish in less oil – so it’s a healthier alternative to deep frying
- Can make multiple fritters in one go.
- Cooks instantly and evenly.
Some recipes made in Appe Pan
How To Make Curry Leaves Veg Cheese Paniyaram | Fritters
Savory Paniyaram with Vermicelli & Broccoli
Chettinad Kuzhi Paniyaram Recipe
Sweet Potato Nei Paniyaram With Leftover Puran
Method
Soak the urad dal
lentils in water for at least 3-4 hours. Drain the water and grind
it to a smooth paste in a mixer without adding any additional water.
- Transfer the batter to a mixing bowl.
- Now add the chopped dill leaves to it.
- Add the rice flour.
- Then add chopped onions, ginger paste
and green chillies. - Add salt and mix well.
- The batter is now ready. Now you need to heat the Appe pan. I use this one
in my kitchen. As you heat the Appe pan, drizzle some oil in each mold.- Using a spoon or your hand, make small balls of the batter and place them in each mold.
- Drizzle some more oil over each ball. Cover the pan and cook them on medium flame for a minute or two. Carefully turn them over inside the mold so the ball cooks evenly all over.
- Place in a container lined with napkins to soak any excess oil.
and green chillies.
in my kitchen. As you heat the Appe pan, drizzle some oil in each mold.
Important tips to remember
- Do not add water while grinding the lentils. The batter needs to be thick and not runny.
- You can add some cooking/baking soda to the batter to make these fritters more fluffy. You’ll find this in your nearest grocery store
- Add the soda to the batter just before cooking it.
- Add oil to the molds only once the pan is hot. A good way to check if the pan is hot is to sprinkle a few drops of water on the pan. If the water forms a bubble that effortlessly slides over the pan, the pan is usually ready for cooking.
- Keep the flame on low to medium while cooking these fritters.
- Covering the Appe pan while cooking ensures even cooking in its own steam.
- Add some more oil as you turn the fritters in the mold to ensure even cooking.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve hot with any chutney or ketchup.
- Can be enjoyed as an evening snack or for breakfast.
If you’ve tried this Dill Flavored Lentil Fritters or any other recipe on the blog please let me know. I welcome your comments, star ratings, tweaks and suggestions.
Similarly, please tag me on Instagram @cookilicious or using #cookiliciousveg when you recreate a recipe from here. I’m always happy to see you share my recipes with the world. Yay!!!
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Equipment
- Appe Pan
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup urad dal
- 1 cup dill leaves/shepu
- 2 tbsp rice flour
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 4-5 green chillies minced
- 1 large onion chopped
- Salt as required
- Little Oil for frying
- 1 Tsp cooking soda optional
Instructions
URAD DAL SOAK
- Soak the urad dal lentils in water for at least 3-4 hours..
BATTER PREP
- Drain the water and grind the dal to a smooth paste in a mixer without adding any additional water.
- Transfer the batter to a mixing bowl.
- Now add the chopped dill leaves to it.
- Add the rice flour.
- Next add the chopped onions, ginger paste and green chillies.
- Add the salt and mix well.
- The batter is now ready.
USING THE APPE PAN
- Now you need to heat the Appe pan. Once the Appe pan is hot,drizzle some oil in each mold.
- Using a spoon or you hand, make small balls of the batter and place them in each mold.
- Drizzle some more oil over each ball. Cover the pan and cook over a medium flame for a minute or two. Carefully turn the fritters around in the mold so all sides cook evenly.
- Remove fritters from the pan and place in a container lined with paper napkins to soak any excess oil.
Notes
- Prepare enough batter to last you 2-3 days. This way you only have to make the fritters each day, which is not at all time consuming. Refrigerate the batter.
- Do not add water while grinding the lentils. The batter needs to be thick and not runny.
- Dill leaves also known as Shepu in Indian cuisine should be available at your nearest grocery store.
- Though the flavor of dill leaves is very strong, this is a very delicious snack made with it.
- You can add 1 tbsp of cooking/baking soda to the batter (just before cooking) to make these fritters more fluffy.
- Add oil only when the pan is hot. One way of knowing when to add the oil is to sprinkle the pan with water droplets at regular intervals. Once the water droplet forms a bead and slides over the pan instead of just evaporating, the pan is ready.
- Keep the flame on low to medium while cooking these fritters.
- Covering the Appe pan while cooking ensures even cooking in its own steam.
- Add some more oil when as you turn the fritters.
- If an Appe pan is not available to you, you can always fry them the old fashioned way.
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