Cookbook:Appam - eMyTextBooks

Cookbook:Appam

Cookbook | Recipe Index | Indian Cuisine

Appam, a fermented rice pancake, is a speciality of the South Indian coastal state of Kerala. It is especially popular among the Christian communities of that state. Appam are often served along with a coconut-flavoured vegetable stew.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
• 1 1/2 cups fresh grated coconut
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons white rice, cooked
• 1/2 teaspoon yeast

Procedure

1. Soak the raw rice in water overnight.
2. Grind the soaked rice until about 1/4 ground.
3. Add the grated coconut along with a little water and continue grinding.
4. Add the sugar, cooked rice and yeast and keep grinding until the whole mixture becomes smooth. It should be thinner than pancake batter.
5. Transfer it to a wide open container and leave it to rise overnight.
6. The next morning, add salt and refrigerate the batter until use.
7. To fry the appams, use a small bowl-shaped pan with either a nonstick coating or a little oil.
8. Pour a full serving spoon of batter into the middle of the pan and swirl it around a single time so that a little of the batter sticks to the sides.
9. Cover the pan with a hot lid and remove the appam with a spatula after 2-3 minutes, when it becomes slightly browned around the edges. It should be round, with a thick centre and thin, lacy edges.

Makes 12.