Paniyaram/ Paddu is a popular south indian dish. It is traditionally made from rice and black lentils. It is actually cooked in a special mould! Although the batter used is similar to the one used for making rice crepes or dosa, cooking it in this special mould transforms it into a whole new equally delicious dish 🙂 This is a bite-sized snack that goes well with any side like a spicy chutney or sauce.

Here I have tried to make the paddu a little bit healthier by using oats and buckwheat to make the batter. Also, this is a really quick recipe as the batter does not have to ferment! The first time I tried this I totally fell in love with the taste. You can get the flavors of both the buckwheat and oats in each bite 🙂

Ingredients

1. 1/3 cup oats flour
2. 1/3 cup buckwheat flour
3. 1/2 tsp salt
4. 2 tbsp yogurt
5. a little less than 2/3 cup water for mixing the batter
6. 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
7. 1 tsp red chilli flakes (can be substituted with green chillies and adjusted according to taste)
8. 1/4 tsp fruit salt(optional)
9. 1 tbsp oil

Preparation Time:   15 min                   

Cooking Time: 10 min

Servings: 14 paniyarams

 Method

1. Take the oats flour, buckwheat flour, salt, yogurt, onions and chill flakes in a large mixing bowl. Mix everything together well by pouring in water a little at a time. The consistency of the batter should be about the same as for a pancake or dosa.
2. After you mix the batter let it sit for about 10 minutes. Once it is soaked, the batter may become a little thicker. Add a little water and adjust the consistency just before using it. Also, if you are adding fruit salt, add it right before making the paddus.
3. Once the batter is ready, take the paddu mould and coat it with a little oil. Add about a tbsp of batter to each portion of the mould. Let it cook for sometime. Once the bottom of these paddus are cooked, carefully flip each of the paddus over and let the other side brown a little. Preferably cook it on a low flame. These paddus take a little longer to cook than the regular ones.
4. After the first batch of paddus are done, to make the second batch, you will need to reapply oil onto the mould.
5. Serve these hot with any chutney or sauce!