The appam is a popular breakfast dish in Kerala; the soft and fluffy interior, along with the crispy exterior of the appam, makes it popular. The appam can be consumed with accompaniment dishes such as vegetable stew, sweet coconut milk, and curries.
Appam may also be called Palappam or rice hopper. A few ingredients, including rice, coconut, and fermented batter, are used to make appam batter, which gives it its unique bowl-shaped form. With proper fermentation technique and some patience, one can make yummy homemade appams in his/her kitchen.
The recipe for appam is very closely related to Kerala food culture. Traditionally, fermentation was achieved with the help of toddy, which is a naturally fermented drink prepared from palm or coconut blossoms. Today, yeast can be used easily to prepare the batter at home.
The characteristic look of the appam is due to the use of a curved pan called appachatti to grill it.
Appam is naturally vegetarian and gluten-free when prepared with rice and coconut. It is often enjoyed for breakfast or dinner with vegetable stew, potato curry, or sweetened coconut milk.
Ingredients for Kerala Appam
1½ cups raw rice or parboiled rice
¼ cup thick poha (flattened rice), cooked rice, or puffed rice
½ cup freshly grated coconut
½ teaspoon instant yeast or ¾ teaspoon dry active yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt, or according to taste
Approximately ¾ cup water for grinding
A little oil for greasing the pan
These ingredients make a traditional rice-and-coconut batter suitable for preparing soft appams.
Step 1: Cleaning the Rice
You will have to give your rice a good rinse with some water. After that, you can place it in a bowl and cover it completely with a good amount of water. Let this sit for about four hours.
Step 2: Prepare Your Batter
All the soaked rice should be emptied into your blender. Add some coconut, poha, or boiled rice depending on what you have. Grind well so that a smooth batter is formed. It is important to note that cooked rice or poha acts as a softening agent for the appam.
Step 3: Mix yeast and ferment
Mix up the yeast in a small amount of lukewarm water and sugar. If dry active yeast is used, then let it activate. Add the mixture of yeast into the batter.
Cover the bowl and keep it in a warm spot to ferment. Depending on the heat, this process may take hours. As bubbles appear in the batter, it means that it is ready to be salted and mixed gently.
Step 4: Cooking the appam
Place a seasoned appam pan or a curved iron wok on a medium flame. Grease the pan lightly. Put some batter into the center, then circularly rotate the pan.
Cover with a lid and cook for about two minutes or till center is fluffy and the edges become slightly golden and crispy.
Carefully take the pancakes off and repeat with the remaining batter.
Some Tips for Making Soft and Crispy Appam:
Make sure that the batter ferments well for a light and airy texture.
Don’t make the batter too thick or too thin.
Make use of an appam pan that is well-seasoned to prevent it from sticking.
Keep cooking on low-medium flame to make sure the center cooks well.
Do not flip the appam; the covered pan helps cook the upper surface.
Serving Suggestions
Serve freshly prepared appam with Kerala vegetable stew, coconut milk, potato curry, or vegetable kurma. A mildly spiced coconut-based stew complements the delicate flavor of appam particularly well.
Appam is a great dish to get a taste of South Indian cuisine in your kitchen. Using basic ingredients and flavors, this recipe gives you a full-fledged South Indian delicacy to savor with the family.
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