Mornings are easily the busiest part of anyone's day. Whether you are rushing to catch an office shift or getting the children ready for school, the time left to make breakfast often shrinks to a handful of minutes. Reaching for bread every single morning is neither great for health nor very exciting for the taste buds. A simple answer to this everyday problem is appe made from sooji and besan. These little ball-shaped bites look as cute as they taste, and everyone at home, young or old, tends to love them.
What Makes This Breakfast Special
The biggest advantage is that these appe cook in very little oil and only basic spices, which keeps them light and healthy. If your mornings leave you with almost no time, you can prepare the batter the night before. Chop the vegetables in advance, and the next day breakfast lands on the plate in just a few minutes. It also makes an excellent option to pack in the children's tiffin.
Prepare The Batter And Vegetables
Start with the batter. Take one cup of sooji and add half a cup of besan to it, mixing both thoroughly. Now pour in a little more than half a cup of thick curd and stir it in. Cover the mixture and set it aside for a while so the sooji can swell and soften with the curd. Meanwhile, chop all the vegetables, such as onion, capsicum, carrot, green chilli and fresh coriander. Also grate a little potato and keep it ready.
Add The Spices And Get The Batter Right
Now fold all the chopped vegetables into the rested batter. The moisture from the vegetables will loosen the mixture slightly, which is exactly what you want. Add salt to taste, turmeric powder and grated ginger, then mix everything well. Next, place the appe pan on the flame to heat up. While the pan is heating, stir half a teaspoon of baking soda into the prepared mixture. This is what gives the appe their puffed up, spongy texture.
How To Cook The Appe
Pour the batter into the moulds of the hot appe pan, cover it and let the appe cook from one side first. Once the underside is done, brush a little oil over the top and flip each one so the other side cooks evenly too. When they are golden and cooked through on both sides, lift them out of the pan. You can enjoy them hot just like this.
Add A Mustard Tempering For Extra Flavour
If you want a little more zing, a light mustard tempering works beautifully on the appe. Heat 1 spoon of mustard oil in a pan. Once it is hot, add mustard seeds and cumin, followed by a pinch of asafoetida and a few curry leaves. Finally, toss the cooked appe into this tempering and stir gently so every piece picks up the flavour.
How To Serve
Serve the appe with your favourite chutney or sauce. Coconut chutney or peanut chutney pairs wonderfully with them. Made this way, the appe stay healthy and taste delicious at the same time. Best of all, the entire breakfast is ready in minutes, making it a reliable companion when you are short on time in the morning.
