APPAM

Appam

Appam is a type of South Indian pancake made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk. It’s a popular food in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Srilanka. Srilankans commonly refer it as Hoppers. It is eaten most frequently for breakfast or dinner. They are perfect to enjoy with egg curry, Potato stew and chicken stew.

There are varieties of appam like Kallappam, Palappam, Vellayappam. Today here Im presenting the recipe of Appam, which is simplest of all, made from rice, coconut and is fermented with yeast.

Appams are made in a special pan known as “Appa Chatti”.

 

So lets proceed with the recipe here.

Ingredients:

Raw Idli Rice/ Pachari  2 cups washed and soaked for 6-7 hours

Idli rice

1 cup Cooked rice

1 cup fresh shredded coconut

½ cup warm water

¼ tspn Rapid rise active Yeast

5 tbspn Sugar

Salt

Method:

Preparing the appam batter -

     1.   In a warm water glass add sugar and active yeast, Mix till the sugar dissolves. Cover and set aside until the yeast rises to foamy.

     2.   In a grinder, grind little by little raw soaked rice, cooked rice, fresh coconut and yeast water adding water as required to make a smooth batter.

     3.   Collect the batter into a large container and add more water if required. As the batter should be loose in consistency similar to dosa batter. Add salt as per the taste and mix it well with your hand. Keep the container in a warm place to ferment for atleast 8 hours.

I have kept it in the oven to ferment.

After 8 hrs batter is still fermenting because of yeast. Now you can keep the batter in fridge till next use.

Making of Appam - 

     1.   Whenever making the appam add 4 – 5 tbspn of sugar to the batter and mix well.

     2.   Heat the appa chatti until water droplets sprinkled evaporates immediately.

     3.   Pour a ladle full of batter into the appa chatti and pick up the appa chatti and swirl it around so that the batter swirls around the sides of the chatti / pan.

     4.   Cover it with lid and allow it to cook for 3 -4 mins on medium heat till the centre of the appam is done and the edges are golden brown at this time the edges will automatically detach from the pan.

     5.   Remove the appam carefully from the pan onto a plate and serve it immediately. I have served it here with egg roast.

NOTE:

     1.   Once the batter is poured in the appa chatti you have to be quick in swrilling the batter to the edges of the pan.

     2.   If you add more yeast by mistake keep a close watch on the batter, as it will ferment very quickly. If this happens keep the batter in the fridge or the batter will taste more of yeast.

    3.   The more sugar in the batter, the more crispy edges of the appam.

    4.   To raise the yeast properly water should be luke warm and not boiled water.

    5.   The same appam can be made as Egg Appam by breaking the egg into the appa chatti as the appam cooks.