Appam - a Kerala special

Presenting the "Appam" - a pancake from the State of Kerala that is a breakfast delicacy. The Appam was initially a dish associated with Christian homes, however, with time, it has come to be an integral part of the Kerala cuisine as a whole. The Appam or Palappam is also a speciality in Sri Lanka where it is known as the Appa. It can be served with the potato/chicken stew, kadala curry or egg curry(Kerala style egg curry with coconut milk).

When you are away from home what comes to your mind most are your people and yes, the food. Have been making the appam for several years now. The appam and the chicken stew is a favorite dinner menu at my place as this is one meal where all of us have enough time and enjoy the most. Stew for hubby and daughter means only chicken:).

The appam batter is easy to make at home and done quickly. There were however two issues that I was worried about:
1-With the temperature around 10 degrees was a little anxious if the batter would ferment and rise well. Found a way out for that too. I kept it on the unused hot plate while cooking, all the heat from the cooking did do the trick and we had delicious soft and crispy appams with chicken stew for dinner:).
2- I generally grind half a coconut(grated) alongwith rice for the batter. With coconut not available here I had to find a good alternative. The Maggi coconut milk powder did come to my rescue:)

Here is the Appam recipe:
Ingredients:
Raw rice - 2 cups
Cooked rice - 3/4 to 1 cup
Coconut - 1/2(grated)(*can use a 25gm packet of Maggi coconut milk powder instead)
Yeast - 1 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 3-4 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
1- Soak the raw rice for 6-8 hours. Wash and drain.
2- Take 1/2 cup warm water and add the yeast alongwith 1 tsp of sugar and keep aside for 10 minutes.
2- Grind raw rice, cooked rice and grated coconut into a smooth batter with enough water (it is important to take into consideration the water in the yeast that would be added later to the batter).
4- Add the yeast solution, salt and the remaining sugar to the batter. Mix well. The batter must be of pouring consistency. Keep aside in a warm place for 5-6 hours(you would see that the batter is well-fermented, light and has also risen well).
5- Place the appam chatty on fire. When hot, pour a ladle of batter into it and spread the batter evenly all over( do so by circling the appam chatty, do not use a ladle).
6- Cover with a lid and let cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Your appam is ready (soft at the centre, crispy and golden on the sides)
Serve with potato or chicken stew.