Recipe for making Kerala Appam – Kerala Palappam made with soaked and ground rice and coconut milk. These lacey appams make a delicious breakfast. Also called as Vellappam or Lace Hoppers.
Vinodh’s sister Shreevidhya messaged me one day after having been to a dinner at her family’s. Nivashini, who hosted the dinner had served Kerala style appams and Shreevidhya messaged me that the appams were out of this world. I immediately contacted Nivashini and she was so sweet to share the recipe for us. She learnt this recipe during one of her vacations in Kerala from a chef at a resort.
The appam batter is so easy to make. The fluffy, lacey appams with crisp edges are nothing but outstanding. I am sure this recipe will become a regular at your homes. Do give it a try!
The batter
Wash and soak the raw rice in water overnite (around 8 hours). I have used sona masuri variety of rice today for this recipe. Drain the rice and add it to the wet grinder along with a cup of water. I have an ultra wet grinder and I recommend the same.
When the rice is ground to a fine rava / semolina like texture, stop the grinder. Remove a cup of batter to a bowl. Add a cup of water to it. We will be doing a porridge with it and add it back to the batter. (we will be making a kanji).
Make Porridge and add to the batter
Heat the removed batter on a medium flame until it slightly thickens to a porridge (kanji). Add the kanji to the batter sitting in the wet grinder. Let it grind for another 10-15 minutes.
Activate the yeast
In the mean time, take a cup and add in the yeast along with sugar and half a cup of barely warm water. Let it foam up for five minutes. Do not add really hot water as hot water will kill the yeast. The water needs to be just warm to the touch. Set aside.
You can buy active dry yeast in amazon. Store the yeast in the freezer and it lasts for a long time up-to an year fresh in the freezer.
Make thick coconut milk
Take a mixie jar and run half a cup of fresh shredded coconut along with 1.5 cups of water for 2 minutes. Strain on a colander. You will get thick coconut milk. Set aside.
Add in the yeast mixture, thick coconut milk and the salt to the wet grinder.
Grind the batter in the wet grinder till the mixture is very smooth.
Ferment the batter
I cover the batter with a cling wrap so the batter does not foam up and over flow. Make small holes with a knife and let the batter ferment for 8 hours. The batter would have foamed up and smell very yeasty.
Now comes the fun time. Lets make appam.
The appam batter consistency should be thin. Little thinner than the dosa batter consistency. Add water if necessary to adjust the consistency of appam batter.
Heat appam kadai or appa chatti until hot. Ladle some batter into the kadai in the middle. Slowly rotate the pan to make the appam batter adhere to all over the sides of the pan. Use your hands to rotate the pan in a circular motion and guide the batter to stick to all over the sides.
Cover with a lid and let it cook for a minute on medium flame. Appam cooks only on one side. Appam is done when the sides are brown. Remove the appam slowly with the help of a spatula.
I have used a Hawkins Futura Non-Stick Appachatty for making the appams today.
Serve
Serve appam with sweet coconut milk and stew and it makes for a fantastic breakfast or dinner.
Here is the recipe for Sweet Coconut Milk.
Here is the recipe for Vegetable Stew
Here is the recipe for Kerala Chicken Stew, Chicken Ishtu
- 2 cups raw rice (like sona masuri)
- ½ cup fresh shredded coconut
- ¾ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1.5 teaspoon salt
- Wash and soak the raw rice in water overnite (around 8 hours). Drain the rice and add it to the wet grinder along with a cup of water.
- When the rice is ground to a fine rava / semolina like texture, stop the grinder. Remove a cup of batter to a bowl. Add a cup of water to it. Heat the removed batter on a medium flame until it slightly thickens to a porridge (kanji). Add the kanji to the batter and let it grind for another 10-15 minutes.
- In the mean time, take a cup and add in the yeast along with sugar and half a cup of barely warm water. Let it foam up for five minutes.
- Take a mixie jar and run half a cup of fresh shredded coconut along with 1.5 cups of water for 2 minutes. Strain on a colander. You will get thick coconut milk. Set aside.
- Add in the yeast mixture, thick coconut milk and the salt to the wet grinder.
- Grind the batter in the wet grinder till the mixture is very smooth.
- Transfer the batter to a big bowl and ferment for 8 hours. Appam batter is ready
- Heat appam kadai or appa chatti until hot. Ladle some batter into the kadai in the middle. Slowly rotate the pan to make the appam batter adhere to all over the sides of the pan. Cover with a lid and let it cook for a minute on medium flame.
The fermented batter can be stored in the refrigerator for upto two days.
Hi.. The way you explained is so clear. Thank you so much. It’s so helpful. I have 3 doubts.
1.Can we use idly rice for Kerala style appams?.
2. Normal tamilnadu style appams also use coconut milk , Kerala style also use coconut milk . what’s the difference ?
3. Can we use our idly batter with little coconut milk and do these appams ?
Useful recipe with good tips , but, why do you call it Kerala appam when this is very famous among many communities in Southeast Asia , especially the Thamizhar? THANKYOU for sharing.
Hi Divya,
Usually, yeast is not added by the tamil community.
Kerala people add yeast or toddy to ferment the batter. Thats the main difference.
hi,,,thanks for your blog ,and keep blogging!
I love south Indian food. Never tried appam so far, will want to try the recipe ASAP.