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–+ servings
Quick Spinach Pops

Quick Spinach Pops - Make Easy and Tasty Appey

Mix Sooji with Yogurt; Add hot water to Rice Rava, cover and set aside to cool. Heat Appey Patra with 3-4 drops of oil in each well. Add cooled rice Rava to Sooji-yogurt mixture, along with the remaining ingredients. Add a heaping teaspoonful of batter into each well. Cover and cook for 3-4 min, then loosen and flip Appey to brown the other side, 3-4 min. Remove and repeat with remaining batter. Yields about 24 Appey; serve hot with ketchup, hot sauce or chutney. Enjoy!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Indian, South Indian
Servings 4 people
Calories 178 kcal

Equipment

  • Appey Patra Paniyaram pan; Aebleskiver/Ebelskiver pan; if not available, use the batter to make mini-pancakes on a griddle - about 1 tbsp batter per 1 1/2 inch (4 cm) pancake.

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup Sooji (Wheat Rava) - medium (not fine or extra coarse) Semolina; Cream of wheat; Farina
  • 1/3 cup Yogurt I prefer whole-milk yogurt, but low-fat/non-fat is OK too; Greek yogurt OK too
  • 25 g Rice Rava - about 2 tbsp Idli Rava preferred; coarsely ground parboiled rice; quick-cooking cream of rice; if not available, see recipe Notes for how to make it at home
  • 1/3 cup Hot water
  • 1/2 cup Onion: chopped/diced medium any variety: red, white, yellow
  • 1 handful Baby Spinach: rinsed and finely chopped - about 1/2 cup after chopping Fresh spinach is best; if not available, frozen is OK too (about 1/4 cup thawed, packed tightly to measure - may need to chop a little more finely)
  • 2 tbsp Fresh Coriander leaves (cilantro) - trimmed, rinsed and chopped OK to use tender stems along with leaves; OK to omit if not available
  • 2 tbsp Green onions (optional) - sliced into thin rings about 1 medium stem, use the green tops as well as the white bottoms
  • 1/2 tsp Ginger - grated finely if using ginger paste, use only 1/4 tsp; if fresh ginger not available, use 1/4 tsp (or less) ginger powder
  • 1/4 tsp Salt adjust as per taste preference - add up to 1/8 tsp more
  • 1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1/4 tsp Crushed red pepper (chilli flakes) adjust as per spiciness preferred; if not available, OK to add red chilli powder (cayenne) instead - or simply omit and use fresh green chillies - finely chopped - instead
  • 1/2 tsp Green Chilli (optional) - Serrano - finely chopped adds great flavor, but OK to omit if you don't want it too spicy
  • 1/4 tsp Black pepper - freshly crushed preferred
  • 1 tsp Oil I like to use peanut oil; any other mild-flavored oil OK
  • 2-3 tbsp Water add as needed to adjust consistency of batter
  • 1/2 tsp Baking powder (add just before frying) See Recipe Notes if doubling or tripling the recipe

For Frying

  • 1 1/2 tbsp Oil (for frying) I like to use peanut oil; any other mild-flavored oil with high smoke point OK; I do not recommend using Extra Virgin Olive Oil for frying

Instructions
 

Make Appey Batter

  • Mix Sooji with Yogurt in a small-medium bowl. (1 quart/1 liter).
  • Cover and set aside to soak fro a few minutes.
    cream of wheat-yogurt crumbles
  • Place Rice Rava (cream of rice) in a small bowl.
  • Mix 1/4 cup boiling hot water with 2 tbsp cold water. Add this hot water ( about 1/3 cup) to the Rice Rava. Stir, cover and set aside to cool.
    idli rice with hot water
  • Place a large handful of spinach in a colander; Wash thoroughly to remove grit, sand, etc.,
    baby spinach
  • Spread on a towel to dry briefly, then bunch the leaves together and first cut into ribbons about 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) wide.
    spinach ribbon-sliced
  • Turn the cutting board 90 degrees and slice the ribbons crosswise, to chop the spinach.
    spinach-chopped
  • Chop/dice the onion - medium dice
    Note: if you see black spots on the onion after peeling it, be sure to wash the black stuff off (thoroughly!) under running water.
    onions-diced
  • Trim, wash and chop the fresh coriander leaves; OK to use tender stems too - they are very flavorful as well
  • Cut a small piece of ginger- about 1/2 inch square; wash thoroughly to remove dirt, etc. Then grate with a fine shredder.
  • Pour the top liquid from the soaked rice Rava into another small bowl: don't throw it away, though - you may need to add some of it after mixing the batter, to adjust its consistency.
    Then add the chopped onions and the drained Idli Rava to the Sooji-yogurt mixture,
    making appey batter
  • Mix well to make a thick batter.
    Sooji-rice batter
  • Add the chopped spinach to the batter.
    spinach in appey batter
  • Mix well.
  • Add the chopped coriander, grated ginger, crushed red pepper, green chillies (if using), cumin seeds, salt, freshly crushed black pepper and oil.
    Note:
    Do NOT add baking powder at this time - wait until you're ready to fry, otherwise its leavening effect will be lost and the spinach pops will turn out dense and not spongy!
    add seasonings to batter
  • Mix well: yields about 1 1/2 cups batter, maybe just a bit less. It will look a bit thick at this stage; that's OK, you can thin it out just a little when you add the baking powder, just before frying.
    Appey batter- mixed

Fry the Appey

  • Place Appey Patra (Aebleskiver pan) on the stove; add 3-4 drops of oil in each well and heat on on medium-hi heat for 2-3 min.
    Heating Appey pan
  • While the pan heats up, add about 2 tbsp or so of water (or the saved rice-soaking liquid) to the batter to adjust its consistency as needed. Just before frying, add the baking powder (or ENO) and stir quickly to mix thoroughly.
    Note: See Recipe Notes for what you would need to do differently - regarding the addition of baking powder - if you plan to make a large batch ... i.e., to feed more than 4 people.
  • Add one heaping teaspoonful of batter into each well.
    spinach pop batter in pan
  • Cover and cook on medium-hi for 3-4 min. Remover cover after 2 min to check progress; the batter should look half-cooked; if need be, increase heat to Hi for another minute or so.
  • When they look fully cooked - they are ready to flip.
  • Add 2-3 drops of oil on each Pop, loosen the edges of the Appey with a toothpick or a teaspoon, and gently flip the Appey - should look golden brown... if not, flip them back and let them brown a bit more before flipping again.
    Continue to cook for 3-4 min longer, on Hi. add a couple of drops of oil around the sides, if need be to help brown the other side.
    flipped spinach pops
  • Remove from the pan and transfer to a plate. Again add a few drops of oil to each well and repeat with the remaining batter.
    Yields about 22-24 small-medium Spinach Pops.

Serve Spinach Pops: Hot off the pan!

  • Serve immediately, while still hot and crispy, with tomato ketchup, hot sauce, or any dip/chutney of your choice.
    To add a little extra protein to your snack, serve with some quick-to-fix Peanut-Yogurt Chutney: all you have to do is mix some crushed roasted peanuts with whipped yogurt and stir in some simple seasonings.
    Quick Spinach Pops
  • Enjoy!

Notes

No Idli Rava or Cream of Rice available?
No worries... Follow these simple directions to make it in just a few minutes with any variety of rice you have in your pantry.
Note:
These directions are just for a small amount that you can easily make in a pinch. I would highly recommend that you look around for pre-made Idli Rava. It is widely available in India, and in most Indian grocery stores in the US. You can easily store it in the pantry, just like rice, and it's so convenient when you need it. 
  • Heat a small stainless steel/cast iron pan or wok on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes
    • While the pan heats, clean the rice with a damp towel
    • Place about 2 tbsp of any variety of rice you have on hand in a slightly kitchen towel
    • Sprinkle a few drops of water on the rice - enough to just dampen the rice
    • Fold the towel around the rice and rub and scrub a little, for about 10-15 seconds
    • White powdery stuff on the surface of the rice grains rubs off on the towel
  • Add the rice to the pan and roast, stirring continuously, until you see a few brown spots and/or some of the grains start to "pop" - about 2-3 minutes
    • Do not brown the rice!
  • Transfer the roasted rice to a plate and let it cool to room temperature.
  • Grind it to a coarse powder in a spice/coffee grinder.
  • Use as directed in the recipe.
Making a large batch?
If you plan to make these Spinach Pops to serve more than 4 people..... and plan to double or triple the amount of batter you make....
I highly recommend that you divide the batter before you add baking powder: About 1 1/2 cup portions 
Why?
  • The leavening effect of the baking powder starts to decrease with time
    • This is what makes the Spinach Pops light and spongy
    • It works fine for up to 10-15 min after adding baking powder:
      • i.e., up to 2-3 batches of frying
  • Each 1 1/2 cup portion makes about 22-24 small-medium spinach pops:
    • this is about 2 batches for a 24-well pan (or 3 batches for a 7-9 well pan)
  • SO: If you're making a doubling or tripling the recipe:
    • Add baking powder to only one portion (1 1/2 cups) first
      • finish frying that batch
    • Then add baking powder to the next portion that you are going to fry.
      • finish frying that batch
Essentially, The idea is to hold off on adding baking powder until you are ready to begin frying that portion !
  • Otherwise, the leavening effect of the baking powder will be lost, and the spinach Pops will not be light and spongy
    • they will be dense and not nearly as tasty!
 
More things you can "add-in" to the Spinach Pops batter:
Use your imagination... and add some of the items I have listed below to create fun new textures and flavors. It's a great way to use up little bits and scraps of these vegetables hiding in the corners of your vegetable bin.
If you decide to add these to the batter, I recommend swapping out some of the chopped onions with these items - that way, you won't need to make any other adjustments to the remaining ingredients and/or directions.
Replace about 1 tbsp chopped onions with one of the following:
  • 1 tbsp finely minced/ carrots
  • 1 tbsp finely minced red bell peppers
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped cabbage - green or purple
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped Zucchini
  • 2 tsp finely chopped beets - it will give a beautiful pink-red color to the pops
  • 1 tbsp shredded cheese - my favorite is sharp cheddar, but other varieties of aged cheeses are good too
 
 
Storing Leftovers
What leftovers?! Most likely, you will not even have any leftovers to worry about....
If you do have a few, though, refrigerate them in a lidded container.
  • Consume within 2-3 days: be sure to reheat them first:
    • Reheat on a tray in a toaster oven/AirFryer, to crisp them up a little.
      • If they look a bit dry, sprinkle a little water on them before reheating.
    • Reheat in a microwave:
      • Will become soft, rather than crispy, but they still taste great.
    • Reheat in a steamer on the stove-top:
      • Will become soft, rather than crispy, but they still taste great.
I do not really recommend freezing these, since they become a bit soggy when you thaw and reheat them.
  • If you decide to freeze them, though, I suggest crisping them up in the oven or AirFryer after they have thawed.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 178kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 4gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 206mgPotassium: 166mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 809IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 1mg
Keyword appey, Baby Spinach, brown rice, Cream of Wheat, Farina, Greek Yogurt, Idli Rava, semolina, Sooji
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