Appam

Appam (or Aapam) is a very popular breakfast item from Kerala. It is also made in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. These are spongy pancakes made with fermented raw rice and coconut batter. Traditionally Kallu (toddy) was added to the aapam to aid fermentation thus giving its name Kallappam. Nowadays yeast is used instead. People who cannot find yeast or do not prefer yeast can use cooking soda (also called appam soda) to the batter just before making the aapams. 

Ingredients

• Raw Rice - 2 cups
• Shredded coconut - handful
• Cooked rice - Handful (You could also use pressed rice/poha/aval instead)
• Yeast - 1/2 spoon
• Sugar - 2-3 tspn
• Salt - as needed

Method

1. Soak the rice for 2 hours. 
2. Grind coconut and cooked rice together until smooth. To this add the rice and grind everything together.
3. Add the yeast, salt and sugar and mix well. Let it ferment for few hours or overnight.
4. Make Appam in the appam kal else make it like pancakes on regular griddle. Pour a spoonful of batter and spread using circular motion by holding the handle of the griddle.
5. Serve it with sweetened coconut milk, stew, kadala (chikpea, kala chana) curry or with any kurma.

Tips

       - If you do not like the smell of yeast, add a pinch of baking soda 30 minutes before making the appams. 

Variations

      - You can make 'Wheat Aapams' too. Make the batter by  mixing wheat flour with salt, sugar, yeast, coconut milk and water. Let the batter ferment and make aapams just like the above process.

      - While making the aapams, if an egg is broken in the middle of the appam and then cooked, it is called 'Egg (Muttai) Appam'.