Banana Oats Appe

Have you ever bought a cooking equipment and been petrified to use it because you’re new to it? That is precisely what happened to me coz I’ve had the appe pan for over five years and I’ve been petrified to use it… until a couple of weeks ago when I saw a post on Instagram, by Monalisa Mehotra. She’d made Banana Oats Appe and they looked so stunning, I just had to make them. Monalisa, heartfelt thanks for the recipe. 😊 Also, your recipe helped me get over my ‘appe pan fear’ 🙈 hence, truly, THANK YOU! ❤️

While the original recipe idea is Monalisa’s, I’ve added tiny touches and specific instructions to ensure the recipe does not go wrong. I never post a recipe unless I perfect it and I will always pen a detailed recipe to ensure it works just as beautifully in your kitchen as it does in mine. With the tiny changes I incorporated, I’ve now made this recipe thrice and I promise you, it’s perfect! I am writing the recipe exactly (proportions, extra ingredients, timings, et al) as made by me. Follow the recipe to a T and you shall have a bowlful of delicious Appe(s). I would say, these are very similar to banana fritters, just sans the excess oil as fritters are usually deep fried. Makes for a perfect evening, tea-time snack. 😊

Ingredients:

½ cup oats flour
1 tablespoon rice flour
2 over-ripe bananas
2½ tablespoon jaggery powder or grated jaggery
2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
A pinch of cinnamon
A good of pinch salt
½ cup milk (room temperature)
½ teaspoon baking powder
Oil for the Appe pan

Method:

1. In a pan or a wok, stirring constantly, roast the oats flour on extremely low heat until a lovely aroma reaches your olfactory senses. Remove into a bowl and keep aside.
   
   
   
   
   
2. In the same pan/wok, stirring all the time, roast the rice flour on the lowest flame possible. When well roasted, remove the rice flour into the same bowl in which you have emptied the roasted oats flour. (The same rule of patience applies to this flour too. It will get done way fast, though, as the quantity is very little.) 
   
   
   
   
   
3. In the same pan/wok, now add the desiccated coconut and on very low flame, stirring all the time, roast it until the coconut gets a tad crisp. The desiccated coconut may turn one shade darker, which is quite alright. When roasted, empty the contents into a bowl, keep aside and allow to cool a bit.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Add cinnamon powder and salt to the roasted flours.
   
   
   
   
5. Using your fingertips, crush the roasted desiccated coconut as finely as possible. 
6. Add the crushed coconut to the dry flour mix.
   
   
   
   
   
7. Peel and mash the bananas as smoothly as possible. 
   
8. Add 1½ tablespoon jaggery powder to the mashed bananas and mix it well. It will melt quite fast as it’s in powder (or grated) form.
9. Add the banana-jaggery mixture to the dry roasted flours and give it a mix. 
   
   
   
   
10. Add the milk and mix to form a smooth batter. Taste the batter and add the remain 1 tablespoon jaggery powder if you prefer a sweeter batter (I did). Mix the batter until the jaggery is well blended into the batter.
    
    
    
    
11. Allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes.
    
    
    
    
    
12. Just a minute before making the Appe, sprinkle baking powder and give it a GENTLE mix.
    
    
    
    
    
13. Heat an Appe pan. Into each indentation add half teaspoon of oil and when the oil is hot, lower the flame. 
    
    
    
    
    
14. Depending on the size of the appe indentations, spoon batter into each one. Cover and on LOW HEAT cook the appe for 2 minutes (yes, i marked time) on one side. 
    
    
    
    
    
15. After the 2-minute mark, flip each appe to cook the other side. Use a teaspoon or a fork to flip the appe. 
16. After flipping the appe, add a few extra drops of oil into each indentation if you so wish (I did). Cover and cook the other side, on LOW HEAT for 2 minutes.
17. Remove the appe into a bowl. Continue making appe until all the batter is used up. 
    
    
    

Chef Notes:

1. I used the Bagrry’s brand of oats flour. Pick up any brand available in your vicinity.
2. When roasting the oats flour and the rice flour I urge you NOT to be in a hurry. Roast both the flours very patiently, on low flame. The flours are to be well roasted to ensure the appe do not taste raw. A beautiful ‘roast aroma’ will reach your olfactory senses when the flour is well roasted. 
3. Preferably, do not allow the flours to change colour but… don’t fret too much if they go one teeny-tiny shade darker. Teeny-tiny, truly does mean just that. Do NOT allow them to go dark. Also, remember, the rice flour will roast faster as the quantity is small.
4. Ideally, mash the bananas with a fork, in a plate instead of a bowl for a smooth mash. I say this because I’ve seen people (in videos) struggling to mash them in a bowl. (Just a question of common sense, sometimes… not very common *evil grin*)
5. Please use over-ripe bananas. Just ripened ones or slightly raw ones will not lend the desired soft texture (within) or the sweetness.
6. The desiccated coconut crisps up a wee bit hence, once cool, crush it with your fingers. There is no right, or wrong, size here so crush them as much as possible and continue with the recipe.
7. I used 2½ tablespoons jaggery powder. You may add jaggery powder a little at a time and achieve the sweetness as desired by you. The quantity of jaggery powder will also depend on how sweet the over-ripe bananas are. 
8. This quantity of batter yields 18 regular size appe. Please don’t ask me to measure the indentations of the appe pan. *heavy sigh*
9. Ideally, keep serving the appe as soon as you bring them out of the appe pan. The only downside to doing this is, there may not be any left for you coz they get polished off in a frikkin’ jiffy. I should know, I barely get to eat three. Sigh!
10. Add half teaspoon oil into each indentation to ensure the appe cooks well. Yes, these are healthy appe but if you are too stingy with oil, you will be left holding an appe that tastes dry. By the way, how do I know?? I merely brushed the appe indentations with oil the first time I made these babies. They popped out quite dry. Now, you don’t want that, do ya? I think not! 😝 Posting a pic of the 'less-oil' version. If you don't mind this texture, then you may merely brush the pan with oil.
    
    
    
    
    
11. Some GK… The Appe pan is also known as Paniyaram pan and the Dutch call it an Aebleskiver pan. 
12. I recommend you remember the direction in which you fill the appe pan and begin flipping the appe in the same direction. This is to ensure the appe are evenly cooked. 
13. As mentioned at the onset, the original recipe belongs Monalisa Mehrotra. This version of the recipe and the photographs, though, belong to my blog, Kenzy’s Kitchen Korner. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes, and/or my photographs, on any blogsite or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.
    
    Some more photographs:

Rice Flour

Desiccated Coconut

Milk

The Less-Oil Version

Methamba - Raw Mango Jaggery Relish

Remember I mentioned in the Andhra Raw Mango Dal recipe that I’d used the second raw mango for another dish. Well, secret’s out! I made Methamba from Saee Koranne Khandekar’s book, Pangat, a Feast: Food and Lore from Marathi Kitchens. I bought this book on Kindle. This is the first recipe tried by me from the book and I have highlighted so many that I want to try. A major clarification: The recipe belongs to Saee and I have no copy right over it. I merely recreated this fabulous recipe in my kitchen.

As mentioned by Saee in the book, Methamba definitely falls under the relish category rather than the pickle  category. I had it with two things, namely, dal rice (Indrayani rice) and Prawn Khichdee. As Saee recommends in the book, I also gave it a try with some plain hot rice and ghee (clarified butter). That was heaven, sheer heaven! If raw mangoes are still available in your vicinity, give this recipe a try immediately.

Ingredients:

2 cups raw mango, peeled and roughly chopped
¾ cup jaggery, grated

3 tablespoons oil

3 dried red Byadgi chilies, broken into small pieces

1 teaspoon black or brown mustard seeds (I used black mustard seeds)

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

¼ teaspoon asafoetida powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder

1¼ teaspoon salt

Method:

1.    Heat oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, broken red chilies, asafoetida and turmeric powder. Sauté until fragrant.

2.    Add the chopped mango and toss well to mix with the spice-mix.

3.    Add the salt and red chili powder and mix well.

4.    COVER the saucepan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until the mango pieces turn translucent.

5.    Add the jaggery and cook UNCOVERED (ON LOW HEAT) until the jaggery melts and the relish comes together in a nice even sticky form.

6.    Remove from fire and allow the relish to cool and then transfer into sterilized glass or ceramic jars.

7.    Can be stored in the fridge for 4-6 weeks.

Chef Notes & The Tiny Changes I Made:

1.    Instead of roughly chopping the mangoes, I preferred to dice then evenly – blame it on my frikkin’ OCD. *sheepish look*

2.    I used nearly 1 cup jaggery as the mango was extremely sour. Please taste as you cook and adjust the jaggery as suits your palate.

3.    While broke one chili into small pieces, I chose to break the remaining two into halves as mum cannot handle very spicy food and breaking the chilies into small pieces would mean she would encounter chilies in each bite. Also, I deseeded the dry red chilies to lessen their spice quotient. Please feel free to do that if you need to. Rest assured; the recipe works just as beautifully when you do so.

4.    The relish lasts for 4 to 6 weeks in the fridge, says the recipe. You can forget about it lasting that long coz if you are anything like me, you will polish this off within a week, max! *greedy-evil grin*

5.    As Saee rightly recommends, please, please do, give the Methamba a try with soft steamed rice and a dollop of clarified butter (ghee). In her exact words, I quote, “But once you try mixing it into some hot rice with a spoonful of ghee, we’ll talk.” As I said earlier... sheer heaven!

6.    As most food groups at Facebook have a ‘no link’ policy, I haven’t posted a link to Saee book, Pangat, at the FB groups. If you wish to access the link, please do so directly from my blog, Kenzy’s Kitchen Korner. It’s a book you will not regret picking up.

7.    As mentioned at the onset, the original recipe belongs solely to Saee Koranne Khandekar and her book, Pangat, a Feast: Food and Lore from Marathi Kitchens. This version of the recipe and the photographs, though, belong to my blog, Kenzy’s Kitchen Korner. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes, and/or my photographs, on any blogsite or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.

(Book photograph courtesy Amazon India)

Link for Pangat, a Feast: Food and Lore from Marathi Kitchens
Click HERE for the PAPERBACK EDITION

Link for Pangat, a Feast: Food and Lore from Marathi Kitchens
Click HERE for the KINDLE EDITION

Some more photographs:

Sticky Mango Rice – Khao Neow Mamuang Lat Kati

I have been meaning to make this for ever so long and I finally got around to whipping it up this mango season. This recipe is a combination of Kay Plunkett-Hogge and Marion Grasby’s recipe for Sticky Mango Rice. I used Jasmine Rice for this recipe but if you can lay your paws on Sticky (Glutinous) Rice go with that. I cannot help but emphasize, as have the authors of the recipe, please make it with ripe mangoes of very good quality or it isn’t worth the effort.

Ingredients:

125 grams raw Sticky rice (or Jasmine rice)

250 – 300 mils coconut milk (I use Kara or Dabur cartons)

60 grams (1/3^rd cup) palm sugar or castor sugar or regular sugar

A big pinch of salt

2 – 3 ripe mangoes, peeled and chopped into pieces or sliced

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

For Use:

A steamer or a steamer basket or a makeshift vessel colander steamer

A 15-inch by 15-inch muslin cloth (or cheesecloth)

Method:

1.    Soak the Jasmine rice in water for 3 hours.

2.    After 3 hours, drain and rinse the rice in fresh water.

3.    Bring water to boil in the base of a steamer/vessel. When the water gets to a roaring boil, lower heat, put the top colander-like section over it.

4.    Put the muslin cloth on the colander section and spread out the rice in an even layer. Fold the cloth over the rice, cover with a lid.

5.    Increase the flame to high and steam the rice for 20 minutes.

6.    Check the rice at the 20-minute mark and if it isn’t cooked to sticky texture, continue cooking (covered) for 8 to 10 minutes more, or until desired texture is achieved.

7.    While the rice is cooking, toast the sesame seeds on low flame. When the colour of the sesame seeds get to a light toasty colour and a nutty aroma reaches your olfactory senses, remove the sesame seeds into a plate. Keep aside and allow to cool.

8.    On very low heat, stirring all the time, heat coconut milk, sugar and salt in a stainless-steel vessel or a non-stick pan. When the sugar melts and the milk is heated through, remove from fire, and keep aside.

9.    Remove the warm cooked rice from the muslin cloth, retain approximately 50 mil of the coconut milk mixture and pour the rest into the rice.

10. Give it a stir to ensure the coconut milk is well incorporated into the rice. Cover and keep aside giving the rice time to absorb the coconut milk completely.  

To Serve:

Divide the rice into four or five equal portions, top (or serve alongside) with chopped/sliced mangoes. Drizzle the remaining coconut milk over each portion and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds. Serve!

Chef Notes:

1.    While I do have a steamer at home, it is a huge one hence did not bother with it. I chose to use a makeshift steamer with a vessel below with a colander above it. QED! 😉

2.    125 grams of raw rice will usually yield 250 grams of cooked rice which is an ideal quantity for dessert, for 4 (or max 5) people.

3.    The number of mangoes you choose to serve, with the rice, is entirely up to you. We used 3 Kesar mangoes because we were greedy, ideally 2 would have sufficed. *giggles*

4.    I did not have palm or castor sugar which is why I opted for regular sugar and it worked beautifully so don’t get too hassled if you don’t have palm or castor sugar in your pantry.

5.    I also know friends who cook this recipe with Maharashtrian Ambemohar Rice. The aroma of mango blossoms that emits from this rice and its flexibility to be cooked to sticky texture, make it a perfect substitute for Sticky Rice. If you choose to use Ambemohar, cook the rice as you would normally do but to a sticky texture. Follow the rest of recipe as written. Btw, I also have friends who swear Indrayani rice works as well. I haven’t tried it tough.

6.    You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.

Some more photographs: