Breakfast Appams: Have You Tried These 5 Varieties Yet?    

South Indian breakfast has a separate fan base all across the country. From the crackling of mustard seeds to the aroma, no other food can compete with the flavours of the Southern region. The common breakfasts from the Southern region are idli, dosa, upma, uttapam and vada. As we all know rice is a staple grain in South India, there is another breakfast dish made with it called appam.  

Made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk, it is a common breakfast treat in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. These soft and tasty hoppers perfectly fit in gluten-free and vegan diet as well. These simple pancakes have soft and thick centre and a paper-thin exterior. It can be savoured with any kind of curry but the regional household mostly serve it with kadala curry, potato stew and coconut chutney. However, there are one too many varieties of this classic dish that you can try.  

1. Plain Appam  

Ingredients:  

• 1.5 cups rice  
• 2 cups water (for soaking)  
• ¼ cup cooked rice   
• ½ cup fresh coconut (grated)  
• ¾ cup water  
• ½ tsp instant yeast   
• Salt as required  
• 2 tsp sugar   

Method:  

• Soak rice in water for 4 to 5 hours.  
• Drain all the water and then add the soaked rice to mixer-grinder or blender jar along with grated coconut, cooked rice, salt and sugar.  
• Add water and grind all the ingredients to a smooth flowing batter and transfer the batter in a medium to large bowl.  
• Sprinkle the yeast all over the batter and mix thoroughly.   
• Cover the bowl and set aside to ferment for two hours until the batter doubles in volume.  
• Heat a skillet and spread some oil on the appam pan with a spoon.   
• Spread a ladle full of the batter, turn and tilt the pan so as to spread the batter to a neat round circle.  
• Cover the pan with a lid and let the appam cook.   
• Gently remove the cooked appam with a spatula.   
• Serve the appam hot vegetable stew or coconut chutney.  

2. Palappam  

Ingredients:  

• 3 cups long grain rice  
• 1 cup cooked long grain rice  
• 1 cup coconut milk  
• Water as required  
• 1 tsp salt  
• 2 tsp sugar  
• 1 tsp yeast  
• Luke warm water as required to dissolve yeast  
• 1/4 cup milk  

Method:  

• Grind together long grain rice and cooked rice very well with coconut milk and enough water, to make a batter of dripping consistency and transfer it to a vessel.  
• Dissolve yeast in a little lukewarm water and add sugar and mix well.  
• Add this to the batter and stir it well.  
• Store it overnight for fermentation.  
• Then add salt and milk.  
• Heat appam pan over medium flame and pour a ladle full of batter into the pan.  
• Then immediately twirl the pan to spread the batter in a circle motion.  
• Cover and simmer for about two minutes or until the edges turn golden brown and gets cooked completely.  
• Then remove the palappam from the pan and serve with vegetable curry.  

3. Neyyappam  

Ingredients:  

• 1/2 kg of rice flour (half boiled rice)  
• 1/4 kg of jaggery  
• 100g of chopped coconut  
• 1 pinch of baking soda  
• Oil for frying  

Method:  

• Make thick jaggery solution.   
• Fry chopped coconut in oil and keep aside.  
• Then make a thick batter of rice flour with jaggery solution.  
• Add coconut and baking soda.   
• Mix all the ingredients and keep the batter for 4-5 hour.  
• Heat oil in a pan and with a sunken ladle, pour small quantities into the oil and deep fry to a golden-brown color and serve.  

4. Kallappam  

Ingredients:  

• 2 ½ cups rice powder  
• 2 cups grated coconut  
• 2 ½ tbsp semolina  
•  Water as required  
• 1/2 tsp yeast  
• 2 1/2 tsp sugar  
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder  
• Salt as required  

Method:  

• Add two cups water to semolina and cook till it is done and let it cool.   
• Add 1/4 cup lukewarm water to yeast & ½ tsp sugar and keep it to rise.   
• Grind the grated coconut with cumin powder and 3/4 cup water.  
• Once the cooked semolina is cool, add it to the rice powder, yeast and combine well.  
• Add grated coconut paste to this and mix well.  
• Add 2 tbsp sugar and stir well and keep the batter covered for 4-5 hours to rise.   
• Once the batter is risen add 1/4 tsp of salt and stir well.  
• Heat a non-stick pan and apply a little oil and pour the batter.   
• Cover and cook for two minutes, flip the appam and cook the other side also. Serve hot with stew.  

5. Vattayappam  

Ingredients:  

• 2 cups rice flour  
• 1 cup coconut (grated)  
• ½ cup cooked rice  
• Salt to taste  
• 1 ½ tbsp sugar  
• 2 cups water  
• 1 tsp dry yeast   
• 1 tbsp oil  

Method:  

• Take rice flour in a bowl, add water, mix well and set aside.  
• Add cooked rice and coconut in a blender and grind to a smooth paste.  
• Add rice flour mixture, salt, sugar, yeast and grind well.  
• Pour this into a bowl.  
• Now cover and let this ferment for 3 to 4 hours.  
• Now mix the batter, add water if needed,  
• Pour this in a greased pan and steam for half an hour.  
• Remove and cool for five mins.  
• Now unmould and serve hot.