Laced Rice Crepes/Appam

When I saw my friend posted an Appam making video of Cooking with Thas on FB I know I have to try it out. Ingredients are relatively easy. All I have to do and just blend it together and let it ferment overnight. Since I don’t have the appam making pan I just used my non-stick pan cooking it. Well, as you can see it is rather flat but taste wise it is pretty good. I remember eating it at one of the Indian restaurant and it has a sourish taste to it. I guess I have to try out another recipe that uses yeast since this recipe doesn’t.

So what is Appam? Appam is a very popular and traditional breakfast of State of Kerala. The Appam or Palappam is also a specialty in Sri Lanka where it is known as the Appa. Appams are soft and spongy in the center and has a lacy border. It is very good for health as it does not require much oil and it is gluten free too. It can be served with the potato/chicken stew, any type of curries curry.

Ingredients:

1 cup raw rice – soaked for 5 hours
½ cup fresh grated coconut
¼ cup cooked white rice
1 cup coconut milk
1 ½ water

Other ingredients:

½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt

1. In a blender or grinder- add soaked rice, grated coconut, cooked rice, coconut milk and water, grind to a smooth batter.
2. Pour the batter into a large bowl, covered with plastic wrap and leave it overnight on the counter top to ferment.
3. If you are living in a cold place, warm up the oven at the lowest temperature- 150 F for 3 to 4 minutes, turn off the heat and then place the batter inside the oven and keep it overnight.
4. The next day just before making appams- add baking soda and salt to the batter combine well. Set it aside for 10 minutes.
5. Place the pan for making appam or a non stick frying pan over medium heat, let it get hot.
6. Grease the pan with non-stick cooking spray or grease it with a bit of vegetable oil.
7. Remove the pan from the heat, pour 1 to 1½ ladle of batter onto the pan and swirl the pan to coat the batter evenly on the pan.
8. Close the pan with a lid and cook for 4 minutes.
9. Open the lid, you can see the edges turn into light brown, using a spatula, go around the edges to loosen the pancake up, remove the appam from the pan and place it on a plate. Continue to do the same until the batter is finish.
10. Appam can be served with any kind of curries or stew.

Note: I made a few pieces of sweet apam with the same batter. I added a tbsp of sugar to the batter (you can add more if you like it sweeter), stir well and cook it the same way as the savory ones.