Unniyappam

Of the few extremely renowned sweetmeats of Kerala, is the Unniyappam, a deep-fried rice cake ball with a jaggery and banana filling. A popular tea-time munchie, the Unniyappam is also made during important rituals in the state. In fact, this snack is served as one of the main offerings to the gods during festivities. The crisp exterior of Unniyappam forms the perfect contrast to the inner gooey filling that has a heady mix of jaggery undercut by spices like cardamom. Traditionally, only cardamom is used, but other ingredients like cumin seeds, sesame seeds or even dry ginger may be added to provide body to the dish and add layers of flavour. 

The Appam has had a rich history in South India. Appams have long been the prasadam (holy offerings to the gods) served at Lord Ayyappa’s shrine in Sabarimala. Cooked in ghee and filled with jaggery, this snack is a must for any devotee making their journey to the temple. Sri Guruvayoorappan temple in Kerala also serves Appam and Ada on the last day of worship, which they call Athaza Puja. Krishna Jayanti (Lord Krishna’s birthday) is a special occasion to serve the Unniyappam. In north Kerala, at the Madhur Ganapathi temple, the Udayasthamana Appam is served all day from dawn till dusk. There is also the once-in-a-while offering of 1,000 Appams as well as the Appam Modal (when the Ganapathi idol is covered in the snack).

In fact, Appam’s ubiquitous nature is proven by the sheer variations of the dish, adapted for each South Indian state. It has several names like Neyyappam (Appam that is prepared in ghee), Koottappam (when they are stacked one above the other), Kuzhiappam (ones cooked in a kuzhi or hole) and Ganapathi Appam (probably ones made during the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi). Not only the variants, but the Appam has multiple ways of preparation as well. In Tamil Nadu for example, it is very similar to the Adhirasam, while in Coorg, it is made with semolina and either banana or jackfruit, and is termed Mulik. Andhra calls it Atrasalu and Ariselu, made by deep frying the ball in ghee (which is often also called Nethi Ariselu).