Quinoa Appe | Quinoa Lentil Paniyaram

Quinoa appe is a delicious healthy breakfast or snack made with quinoa & dal (lentils). These are completely vegan, gluten free and a great option for kids lunch box too.

Appe, also known as paniyaram or paddu, are traditionally made with rice & dal. These are round in shape (ball like) & are made in a specific type of pan which has spherical cavities. In this post, we will be making this Indian breakfast recipe with quinoa instead of rice & split urad dal (split skinned black lentil).

Quinoa, pronounced as ‘Keen-wah‘, is basically edible seed derived from plant ‘Chenopodium Quinoa‘. Many people often confuse it with cereal grain but it is actually a seed. It is also considered a superfood as it high in protein, contains all nine essential amino acids and is a great source of gluten free carbs.

Earlier I had shared recipe of vegan quinoa patty which was liked by many readers. So I though of using it in appe recipe this time by replacing rice with quinoa. To my surprise the batter turned out perfect and the outcome was soft fluffy appe (or paniyaram).

In my previous posts, I had shared instant Indian breakfast recipes like moong dal idli & mixed dal dosa. This time I decided to go old school & made the recipe by fermenting the batter overnight. To make the batter we first soak quinoa, urad dal & methi seeds (fenugreek) and then blend to make smooth batter.

To add flavour, we add tempering to the batter made by sautéing mustard seeds, curry leaves & chana dal along with fresh vegetables like onion, carrot, capsicum and green chillies etc. You can also add some sambhar powder in it.

One thing I would like to lay emphasis on is to wash urad dal & quinoa well as if quinoa is not washed properly, it leaves a peculiar smell in dishes. Also, fenugreek seeds or methi are essential part of this process so don’t skip it.

I usually make this recipe for breakfast so here is the timeline that I follow (just for idea). I soak dal, quinoa & fenugreek around 6:00 pm in evening & leave it like that for 3-4 hours. Just before sleeping I prepare the batter, cover & leave it on kitchen counter to ferment overnight.

Fermentation time also depends on climate & temperature. In winters it might take upto 10 hours to ferment. Once the batter is ready, just add tempering to it & make appe using it. These taste so good with spicy tangy onion tomato chutney but can also be served with coconut chutney or sambhar.

Hope you would like this delicious healthy quinoa paniyaram recipe. If you try it, do share your feedback in comments section below. More easy quinoa recipes:

Ingredients :

Quinoa (uncooked)- 1/2 cup
Urad Dal (split skinned black lentil)-1/2 cup
Methi Seeds (Fenugreek)- 1/4 tsp
Salt – 1 tsp (or to taste)
Rai (Mustard Seeds)- 1 tsp
Curry Leaves- 5 to 6
Chana Dal- 2 tsp
Onion (chopped)- 1/4 cup
Carrots (chopped)- 2 tbsp
Capsicum (chopped)- 2 tbsp
Green Chillies (chopped)- 1 to 2 (to taste)
Oil- For cooking
Water- 1/4 cup (For grinding)

Directions:

Step 1: Wash urad dal & quinoa well under running water while rubbing them with fingers. Repeat this twice or thrice to get rid of all impurities. Soak them in separate bowls along with methi seeds (fenugreek seeds) for 3-4 hours.

As you can see below, dal & quinoa will swell up after 3 hours of soaking.

Step 2: Discard all the water in which urad dal & methi seeds were soaked. Transfer them to a grinder jar & grind to get smooth batter. (You may need to add 2-3 tbsp of water while grinding, add it gradually as required). Transfer this to a mixing bowl.

Similarly discard the water in which quinoa was soaked and grind it too. Add 1-2 tbsp of water gradually while grinding if required. Add this to the urad dal batter. Whisk the mixture till it is light & fluffy. Cover & keep it for 6-8 hours (If making for breakfast, then keep overnight so that batter is ready by morning).

Step 3: After 8 hours, you will notice the batter has fermented & developed air pockets (The fermentation time depends on temp too. If it is summer time it may take lesser time & in winters it might take upto 10 hours). Add salt to the batter & mix well.

Step 4: To prepare tempering, heat 2 tbsp of oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, chana dal & sauté for 15 seconds or till seeds start to splutter. Add all the veggies, mix & sauté for another 15-20 seconds.

Add this tempering to appe batter. Mix well. You can adjust the salt in batter as per your taste.

Step 5: Once the batter is ready, heat paniyaram pan. Add few drops of oil in each cavity. If you have silicon brush, apply the oil evenly inside all cavities. Drop spoonful of batter in each cavity. Keep the flame to medium-low.

Step 6: When the edges begin to cook, flip the appe with the help of a knife or spatula. The batter on top should still be slightly wet when you are doing this.