Appam, also known as “hoppers,” is a traditional South Indian dish, particularly popular in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. A fermented rice batter and coconut milk pancake is made, characterized by its soft, spongy center and crispy, lace-like edges.

Ingredients

  • Rice: regular rice or rice like sona masuri, parmal, surti kolam, ponni rice or parboiled rice is used as the base.)
  • Coconut: Fresh grated coconut or coconut milk.
  • Yeast: Used for fermentation, though some traditional recipes use toddy (fermented palm sap).
  • Sugar: A small amount to aid fermentation.
  • Salt: To taste.
  • Flattened rice (poha): instead of poha you can also use puffed rice (murmura),Cooked rice
  • Fenugreek seeds (for enhanced flavor and fermentation). (optional)

Preparation

  1. Soaking: Rice is washed and soaked in water for 4-5 hours.

  1. Grinding: The soaked rice is ground into a smooth batter along with grated coconut or coconut milk, flattened rice.

  1. Fermentation: Mixes yeast, sugar, salt, and the batter together. Then, the mixture is left to ferment overnight or for about 8-12 hours, depending on the ambient temperature.

  1. Consistency: After fermentation, the batter should be of pourable consistency. To achieve this, water can be added.

Cooking

  1. Heat an appam pan or a seasoned kadai/wok with handles. Sprinkle about ½ teaspoon oil on the pan and spread it all over on the pan. The appam pan or appachatti works best as you get soft fluffy texture in the center and crisp texture towards the circumference. Spread a ladle full of the batter (about ¼ to ⅓ cup) into the hot pan.

2. Turn and tilt the pan in circles so as to spread the batter into a round circle.

    3. Make a neat round circle of the batter. Keep the heat to medium-low or medium.

      4. Cover the pan with lid and let the appam cook for about 2 minutes or until the base becomes nicely light golden and the center firms up and becomes soft and fluffy.

      5. Remove and serve appam hot or warm. Repeat with remaining batter to make as may appam as you need. Store any remaining batter in the refrigerator and use within 1 day.

        Variations

        • Palappam: Appams made with coconut milk.
        • Kallappam: Made with toddy instead of yeast for fermentation.
        • Vellayappam: Plain appams without any additional ingredients.
        • Idiyappam: Also known as string hoppers, by pressing rice flour dough into noodle-like strands and steaming them.

        Serving

        Accompaniments:

        • Stew: A common accompaniment is Kerala-style vegetable or meat stew, made with coconut milk and spices.
        • Chutneys: Coconut chutney, tomato chutney, or other South Indian chutneys.
        • Curries: Chicken curry, egg curry, or fish curry.
        • Sweet Variants: Sometimes served with sweetened coconut milk or jaggery syrup.

        Nutritional Value

        Appam is a relatively healthy dish, being low in fat and rich in carbohydrates. The use of coconut adds some healthy fats, and fermentation increases its nutritional benefits by making it easier to digest.

        Cultural and Religious Significance

        • During festive occasions and celebrations such as Onam and Vishu, Appam is often served and holds a special place in Kerala cuisine.
        • It is also a part of Christian and Hindu communities’ feasts and celebrations, especially in the coastal regions of Kerala.
        • People enjoy appam, a popular breakfast item, for its unique texture and versatility in pairing with both sweet and savory dishes.

        Conclusion

        Appam is a delightful example of South Indian culinary tradition, reflecting the region’s rich cultural heritage and innovative use of local ingredients like rice and coconut. Its preparation, characterized by fermentation, highlights traditional techniques that enhance flavor and nutrition.