Appam is an authentic breakfast dish in Kerala. Made from a mixture fermented rice batter and coconut milk, appam is a popular dish across many south Indian households. Soft and lacy in texture, appam tastes great with vegetable stew or coconut milk.
Although the process of making and fermenting the batter is similar to how you will do it for dosa, appam in consistency and taste is quite different from the dosa. Fluffy in the center, and crisp on the edges, appam also tastes subtly sweet unlike the dosa.
Appam tastes great only when you have it warm or hot. Store it in a casserole if you are not planning to consume it as soon as it is made!
Health Benefits of Appam
From coconut milk to fermented rice flour and flattened rice, everything about appam is thoroughly healthy, so much so that, it can easily find its way to one of the healthiest breakfast dishes in the world!
Coconut is extremely rich in essential fats and dietary fiber. Fermented rice flour provides just the amount of energy to help kick start your day. Besides, fermented rice flour is incredibly beneficial for gut health too.
Ingredients
water: 1 cup
yeast: 3 gm
Sugar: 2 tbsp
grated coconut: 1 cup
rice: 2½ cups
idli rice: 1 cup
A handful of flattened rice
oil: 2 tbsp
How To Make Appam
How to Proof Yeast
- To a bowl, add 2 – 3 tbsp water, a pinch of sugar, and yeast
- Stir well.
How to Make Appam Batter
- Soak rice for 5 hours.
Tip: You can soak rice overnight for softer appams. Using two different types of rice yiels in flavorful appams. Parboiled rice and raw rice in the ration of 1:2 work well for appams.
- Grind soaked rice with grated coconut and sugar.
- Add the proofed yeast to the batter.
How to Make Appam
- Heat a shallow pan (a shallow kadai) on high flame and glaze with oil.
Tip: In Kerala, cooks recommend cooking these appams in earthen pots called ‘appachatti’ for an enhanced flavor and taste. If not ‘appachatti’ it is recommended to use a pan with handle, so twirling is easier.
- Pour a cup of batter and swirl the pan around until batter reaches the edge of the pan.
Tip: Start from the center and try spreading the batter gently with a ladle if you have not mastered the trick of twirling the pan.
- Cover the pan with a lid for a minute or two.
- Remove the lid, and check if the edges of appam have turned golden.
Tip: Not sure if the appam is completely cooked? Use a ladle to check if the appam slides off the pan easily. It is an indication that appam has cooked well.
- Garnish appam with grated coconut and serve with stew, korma, chickpea curry, or sweetened coconut milk.
Did You Know?
Traditionally in Kerala, toddy is used instead of proofed yeast to ferment appams. Toddy is an alcoholic drink made from the sap of palm trees.
Here are some dishes that will taste great with Appam. Try them today
Coconut Milk
Kerala Mutton Stew
Lamb and Winter Vegetable Stew
Pepper Paya
Paya
Ginger Paya
Garlic Paya
Mutton Paya
Chicken Korma
Veg Kurma
Raw Onion Chutney
Ginger Tomato Onion Chutney
Onion Tomato Chutney