Appam
Lacy Rice Hoppers
Appam are delicate, bowl-shaped fermented rice pancakes, a specialty of Kerala, India. They are characterized by their crispy, lacy edges and a soft, spongy center. Traditionally served with curries or stews.
🧂 Ingredients
- 300 g Raw rice(Use short-grain rice like idli rice or basmati rice. Rinse thoroughly.)
- 100 g Cooked rice(Leftover cooked rice works perfectly. This helps create a softer texture.)
- 100 ml Thick coconut milk(Room temperature. Use fresh or canned thick coconut milk.)
- 1 tsp Instant yeast(Ensure yeast is active.)
- 1 tsp Sugar(To feed the yeast and aid fermentation.)
- 0.5 tsp Salt(Adjust to taste.)
- as needed Water(For grinding and adjusting batter consistency.)
- for greasing Oil or Ghee(For greasing the appam pan.)
- for serving Stew or curry(Such as vegetable stew, chicken curry, or mutton curry.)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Rinse the raw rice thoroughly under cold running water until the water runs clear. Soak the rinsed rice in plenty of water for at least 4-6 hours, or overnight.
⏱️ 4-6 hours (soaking) - 2
Drain the soaked rice completely. In a grinder or blender, combine the drained raw rice, cooked rice, and 100ml of thick coconut milk. Add a little water as needed to help grind into a smooth, thick batter. The consistency should be like pancake batter, but slightly thicker.
⏱️ 15 minutes (grinding) - 3
Transfer the ground batter to a large bowl. Stir in the instant yeast, sugar, and salt. Mix well. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and let it ferment in a warm place for 8-12 hours, or until the batter has doubled in volume and has a slightly sour aroma.
⏱️ 8-12 hours (fermentation) - 4
After fermentation, gently stir the batter. If it's too thick, add a little water (a tablespoon at a time) until it reaches a pourable, but not watery, consistency. The batter should coat the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust salt if necessary.
⏱️ 5 minutes - 5
Heat an appam pan (a non-stick, curved pan) over medium heat. Once hot, lightly grease the pan with oil or ghee. Swirl the pan to ensure even heating.
⏱️ 2 minutes - 6
Pour a ladleful of batter (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup, depending on pan size) into the center of the hot pan. Immediately lift the pan and swirl it in a circular motion to spread the batter thinly up the sides, creating the characteristic lacy edges. The center should remain slightly thicker.
⏱️ 30 seconds - 7
Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and crispy, and the center appears set and spongy. Do not flip the appam.
⏱️ 2-3 minutes - 8
Gently loosen the appam from the pan with a spatula and slide it onto a serving plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, greasing the pan lightly between each appam if needed. Serve hot with your favorite stew or curry.
⏱️ 3-4 minutes per appam
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Ensure your appam pan is well-seasoned and non-stick for best results. A cast iron appam pan needs proper seasoning.
- ✓The swirling technique is key to achieving the lacy edges. Practice makes perfect!
- ✓The fermented batter should have a slightly bubbly appearance and a pleasant, mildly sour aroma.
- ✓Adjust the amount of water in the batter to achieve the right consistency – it should be pourable but not runny.
- ✓Cook on medium heat to ensure the edges crisp up without burning before the center is cooked.
✨ Twist Ideas
Inspiration for your own version of this recipe
- Egg Appam: After swirling the batter, crack an egg into the center and let it cook along with the appam.
- Paalappam (Sweet Appam): Sweeten the batter further and serve with sweetened coconut milk or jaggery syrup.
- Spicy Appam: Add finely chopped green chilies and curry leaves to the batter.