Oats Paniyaram
- 10 min prep
- 50 min
- Pan-fry
- Serves 3
- 320 kcal
- 7.4 g protein
Crisp-shelled, soft-centred kuzhi paniyaram from an instant oats and curd batter. No leftover dosa batter needed, just a paniyaram pan and 20 minutes at the stove.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (90 g) quick oats
- ¼ cup (40 g) rice flour
- ½ cup (120 g) thick curd
- About ¾ cup (180 ml) water
- 2 tsp (10 ml) oil, for the tadka
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp (5 g) urad dal
- 1 medium onion (100 g), finely chopped
- 1 small carrot (60 g), finely grated
- 1 green chilli (4 g), finely chopped
- 10 curry leaves, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
- Salt, to taste (about ¾ tsp)
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- About 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil, for the paniyaram pan
Method
- 1Toast the oats in a dry pan over medium heat for 4 minutes until fragrant but not coloured. Cool, then pulse in a mixer to a coarse powder.
- 2In a bowl, whisk the oat powder, rice flour, salt and curd with ½ cup (120 ml) water into a thick batter.
- 3Heat 2 tsp oil in the same pan. Add the mustard seeds, cumin and urad dal and fry until the dal turns golden. Add the green chilli, curry leaves and onion and cook on low heat for 3 minutes until the onion is soft. Stir in the carrot for a minute.
- 4Tip the tempered vegetables and coriander into the batter and mix. Rest for 15 minutes; the batter will thicken.
- 5Set the paniyaram pan on low-medium heat and add ¼ tsp oil to each cavity. Loosen the batter with the remaining water until it drops slowly from a spoon, then stir in the baking soda.
- 6Fill each cavity about three-quarters full. Cook for 3–4 minutes until the bases are golden and the edges look set.
- 7Turn each one over with a skewer or spoon handle. It is fine if the centre is still wobbly; that is what makes them round. Cook for another 2–3 minutes until golden all over and a skewer comes out clean.
- 8Lift them out onto a plate and repeat with the rest of the batter, adding a few drops of oil to each cavity each time.
Notes from the Department
- Keep the heat low-medium. Paniyaram cooked on high heat brown outside and stay raw in the middle.
- The batter should be thick, like idli batter. Runny batter gives flat, oily paniyaram.
- A well-seasoned cast-iron paniyaram pan needs far less oil than a new one.
- Leftover batter without soda keeps in the fridge for a day. Add the soda just before cooking.
Nutrition per serving
- Energy
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 7.4 g
- Carbohydrate
- 40 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 5.2 g
- Sugars
- 4.6 g
Why this works
Kuzhi paniyaram is traditionally made from leftover fermented idli or dosa batter. This version is instant. Curd provides the tang and acidity, and a small amount of baking soda reacts with it to puff the batter as it hits the hot cavities. Rice flour makes the shell crisp, while toasted, coarsely ground oats keep the inside soft and slightly fluffy.
Sautéing the onion and carrot before they go into the batter matters. Raw onion leaks water and makes the centres soggy. Softened onion stays sweet and keeps the batter thick enough to round up properly.
Swaps
Rolled oats work too; grind them the same way. Add finely chopped beans, peas, cabbage or capsicum with the carrot. For a vegan version, replace the curd with ½ cup thick coconut milk and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Hing is often added to the tadka; skip it or use a wheat-free one to keep the paniyaram gluten-free, and buy oats labelled certified gluten-free. A sweet version also exists in many homes: skip the onion and chilli, add jaggery and cardamom, and the Department of Second Breakfasts will look the other way.
Serving and storage
Serve hot with coconut chutney, mint chutney, tomato chutney or tiffin sambar. They are also very good in a lunch box with a pot of chutney.
Cooked paniyaram keep for a day in the fridge in a closed box. Reheat in the paniyaram pan or a covered skillet on low heat for 3–4 minutes so the shells crisp again. A microwave makes them soft.
Questions people ask
- Can I make oats paniyaram without a paniyaram pan?
- Not in the classic round shape. You can drop spoonfuls on a greased tawa and cook them as small, thick pancakes, flipping once, which tastes the same.
- Why are my paniyaram raw inside?
- The heat is too high or the batter too runny. Cook on low-medium, fill the cavities three-quarters full, and give each side 3–4 minutes before judging.
- Can I use Eno instead of baking soda?
- Yes. Use about ¾ tsp fruit salt, stirred in just before you start cooking.
Inspired by Cooking From Heart. Method, notes and photograph by the Ministry of Oats.
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