Instant Kuzhi Paniyaram With Pancake Mix

Instant Kuzhi Paniyaram

Paniyaram, a delicacy from the Southern State of Tamil Nadu in India is usually made with a batter of rice. Sometimes a sweet variation is made with plain flour and deep fried. Here, I have made it with pancake mix. This is a quick recipe if you are craving for paniyaram and can't wait to make the rice batter. Also, I have used a Kuzhi paniyaram pan to make these beauties. They are healthier than the fried ones and also retain their shape. If you prefer fried paniyarams just heat some oil enough to deep fry and add spoon full of batter into the oil. Fry until they are cooked through and has a golden brown color.

This paniyaram batter should be quite thick but you should be able to drop them from a spoon. Keep the pan at medium heat or you will end up with burnt paniyarams. Do not fill the holes fully. The batter will expand while cooking. I usually fill only three fourths of the hole with the batter. Pancake mix has added sugar in it but if you want a sweeter paniyaram add a teaspoon or two of sugar. You can also add raisins to this batter, but that won't be a traditional paniyaram.

Ingredients:

Pancake Mix 1 cup
Banana 1, mashed
Rava or Cream Of Wheat 2 tbsps
Egg 1, well beaten
Broken Cashews 2 to 3 tbsps
Sugar as needed (optional)
Oil as needed

Equipment:

Kuzhi Paniyaram pan or a Dutch pancake pan

Method:

Mix in the Rava, cashews and sugar if using with the pancake mix.
Add the egg and mashed banana to the dry mix.
Make a thick batter using just enough water. Do not make a thin batter.
Let the batter rest for five minutes.
Heat the Kuzhi paniyaram pan. Add half a teaspoon of oil in each hole in the pan.
When the oil is hot add spoon full of batter in each hole. Do not fill the holes to the top. Leave some space for the paniyaram to expand.
When the underside of the paniyarams are nice golden brown, flip them carefully and cook the other side until they too brown.
Remove them from the pan and enjoy.