Tiffany Haney
Appam is a vegan and gluten-free breakfast dish that is popular in Tamilnadu, Kerala, and Sri Lanka. It is traditionally cooked in an appam pan, which is a curved non-stick pan with a lid, although it can also be made in a regular dosa tawa or any other curved non-stick pan. The batter is made from a mixture of rice, urad dal, and coconut, and is fermented for 12-24 hours before cooking. The fermented batter is then poured into the hot appam pan and swirled to coat the sides, creating a thin layer of batter that cooks until the edges are crispy. Appam is typically served hot with vegetable stew, sweetened coconut milk, or coconut chutney.
What can I make in an Appam pan?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Dish | Appam is a vegan, gluten-free, and wholesome breakfast dish from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Sri Lanka. |
| Ingredients | Raw rice, urad dal, cooked rice, sugar, salt, baking soda, water, coconut milk, and/or coconut. |
| Preparation | The rice and dal are soaked, strained, and blended with cooked rice. Salt is added to the batter, which is then left to ferment for 12-24 hours. The appam pan is heated, greased, and then coated with batter by swirling the pan. The appam is cooked covered until the edges are crispy and brown. |
| Serving Suggestions | Appam can be served hot with vegetable stew, sweetened coconut milk, coconut chutney, or any curry. |
| Variations | Nei appam, a variation from Kerala, includes jaggery, coconut, and banana in the batter and is deep-fried. Appam can also be made without yeast, using fermented coconut/palm water or baking soda. |
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What You'll Learn
How to make appam without yeast
Appam is a vegan and gluten-free breakfast dish that is popular in Tamilnadu, Kerala, and Sri Lanka. It is traditionally cooked in an appam pan made of cast iron or an "Illupa Chatti" over a wood fire. However, you can also use a curved non-stick pan with a lid if you don't have an appam pan.
Ingredients:
- Rice
- Coconut (grated or tender coconut)
- Salt
- Sugar
- Coconut water (optional)
- Coconut milk (optional)
- Baking soda
- Oil for greasing
Instructions:
- Soak the rice in cold water for 4-6 hours or overnight.
- Rinse and drain the rice, then grind it together with the coconut, salt, and sugar.
- Add coconut water if using, and stir well to achieve a smooth or slightly grainy batter.
- Leave the batter to ferment for 8 hours or overnight in a warm place until it doubles in volume.
- Before cooking, mix the batter well and add extra water to make it thinner than dosa batter.
- Add sugar and baking soda to the batter and mix well. You should see bubbles after adding the baking soda.
- Grease the appam pan or a curved non-stick pan with oil.
- Heat the pan over low heat.
- Pour a ladleful of batter into the pan and swirl the pan so that the batter spreads evenly in a circle.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
- Once the edges start to pull away and turn brown, gently peel the appam from the pan and transfer it to a serving plate.
- Serve hot with vegetable stew, sweetened coconut milk, or coconut chutney.
Note: If you want to add coconut milk, you can either mix it into the batter or drizzle a tablespoon over the appam before cooking.
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How to make appam without an appam pan
Appam is a vegan and gluten-free breakfast dish that is popular in Tamilnadu, Kerala, and Sri Lanka. It is traditionally cooked in an appam pan made of cast iron or an "Illupa Chatti" over a wood fire. However, you can still make appam without an appam pan by using a regular dosa tawa or any other curved non-stick pan with a lid. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make appam without an appam pan:
Ingredients
- Raw rice
- Idli rice
- Fenugreek
- Urad dal
- Freshly grated coconut (or coconut milk)
- Baking soda
- Sugar
- Oil
Preparation
- Wash and soak the raw rice, idli rice, fenugreek, and urad dal in enough water for 4 to 5 hours.
- Drain the soaked ingredients and add them to a wet grinder or mixie jar. Gradually add water and grind to form a thick paste or batter.
- If you prefer whiter appams, add coconut milk to the batter instead of grinding it with the rice. You can also add a tablespoon of coconut milk before making the appam for extra flavor.
- Fifteen minutes before cooking, mix the batter well and add extra water to make it thinner than dosa batter.
- Add sugar and baking soda (fresh baking soda will produce bubbles) and mix well.
Cooking Process
- Turn on the stove and place your non-stick pan on low heat.
- Grease the pan with a little oil using a cloth or brush.
- Pour a ladleful of batter into the pan and hold the handle with one hand.
- Rotate the pan so that the batter spreads evenly in a circle. Do not spread it with a ladle.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Once the edges start to pull away and turn brown, gently remove the appam from the pan and transfer it to a serving plate.
- Repeat the process with the remaining batter.
Serve the appam hot with vegetable stew, sweetened coconut milk, or coconut chutney. Enjoy your homemade appam, even without an appam pan!
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How to make appam batter
Appam is a tasty, lacy, fluffy, and gluten-free pancake or hopper from Kerala cuisine. It is made from ground, fermented rice and coconut batter. To make the appam batter, follow these steps:
Soaking and Grinding
Wash raw rice and soak it in clean water for 4 to 6 hours or overnight. Drain the water and add the rice to a blender. Add freshly grated coconut and blend until it forms a smooth paste, adding water as needed. If you are using cooked rice, you can skip the soaking step and blend it directly with the coconut.
Fermentation
Transfer the blended batter to an airtight container and let it ferment overnight. You can add a little yeast or coconut water to help with fermentation if needed. The batter should be thin and runny to ensure soft appams.
Seasoning
The next day, add sugar, salt, and baking soda to the fermented batter. Mix well and adjust the consistency with water if needed. The batter is now ready to be cooked into delicious appams!
Cooking
Heat your appam pan or appachatti on medium heat. Pour a ladleful of batter into the centre and swirl the pan to spread the batter evenly, creating thin edges. Drizzle oil around the sides if desired. Cover with a lid and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Once the edges turn brown and pull away from the pan, gently remove the appam and serve hot.
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How to serve appam
Appam, also known as palappam, is a popular breakfast dish in Kerala, Tamilnadu, and Sri Lanka. It is a vegan and gluten-free thin, lacy pancake with a soft and spongy centre and crispy edges.
Appam is best served hot or warm and can be paired with various dishes, including:
- Vegetable stew
- Coconut milk, sweetened with jaggery and flavoured with cardamom powder
- Coconut chutney
- Sambar
- Coconut stew
- Veg korma
- Potato stew
- Kadala curry
- Egg roast
- Chammanthy
To serve appam, you can follow these steps:
- Prepare the appam batter by mixing rice and coconut, along with other ingredients like yeast, sugar, and baking soda. Allow the batter to ferment overnight or for at least 2-3 hours in a warm environment to achieve the soft and spongy texture.
- Heat your Appam pan on low to medium heat. Grease the pan with oil using a cloth or brush.
- Pour a ladleful of batter into the pan and swirl it to spread the batter evenly and create lacy edges. You can adjust the thickness of the centre by adding more or less batter.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook the appam for about 2 minutes or until the edges are delicately browned and crisp, and the centre is soft and fluffy.
- Gently remove the appam from the pan and transfer it to a serving plate. Keep the prepared appams covered with a kitchen towel to retain warmth.
- Serve the appam immediately with your choice of accompaniments, such as those mentioned above.
Enjoy your delicious and freshly made appam!
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How to store leftover appam batter
Appam pans can be used to make a variety of dishes, including appam, a vegan and gluten-free breakfast food popular in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Sri Lanka. Appam is made from ground, fermented rice and coconut batter. It is thin and crispy around the edges with a soft, fluffy centre.
Leftover appam batter can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and used within one day. The batter will not be as frothy the next day, so it should be kept at room temperature for a minimum of two hours to make it frothy again. Alternatively, a pinch of baking soda can be added while cooking the appam to make it soft.
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Frequently asked questions
An appam pan is a traditional pan used to cook appams, a vegan and gluten-free breakfast food from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Sri Lanka.
You can make appams, of course! You can also make nei appam, paniyaram, and dosa.
First, soak raw rice and urad dal in water for 4 hours. Drain and add to a blender with cooked rice. Blend until smooth. Transfer the mix to a saucepan and cook on high heat until thickened. Once cooled, add it to the batter and season with salt. Cover and leave to ferment for 24 hours. Heat the appam pan and pour a ladleful of batter, swirling the pan to coat the sides. Cover and cook for 45 seconds to a minute. Serve hot with vegetable stew, sweetened coconut milk, or coconut chutney.
