Appam
Veg
Vegan
Lacy, fermented rice and coconut pancakes with thin, crèpe-like crispy edges and a thick, soft, spongy centre — cooked in a small wok-shaped pan. Eaten for breakfast with coconut milk, vegetable stew, or vellai korma. Found across Tamil Nadu and Kerala, where it is sometimes called palappam.
Cuisines
Chettinad
Travancore
Kerala
Malabar
Best for
Breakfast
Often paired with
Recipe
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 45 min
2-3 servings
Ingredients
| 1 cup | raw rice |
| 1/4 cup | cooked rice |
| 1/2 cup | grated coconut |
| 1/2 teaspoon | instant yeast |
| 1 tablespoon | sugar |
| 1/2 teaspoon | salt |
| as needed | water |
Instructions
- 1 Wash and soak the raw rice in water for 4-5 hours.
- 2 Drain the soaked rice and grind it with cooked rice, grated coconut, and enough water to form a smooth batter.
- 3 Add the instant yeast and sugar to the batter and mix well.
- 4 Let the batter ferment for 8-12 hours or overnight in a warm place.
- 5 Before making appams, add salt to the fermented batter and mix gently.
- 6 Heat an appam pan or a small non-stick pan on medium heat.
- 7 Pour a ladleful of batter into the pan and swirl it to spread the batter thinly around the edges, leaving a thicker center.
- 8 Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 2-3 minutes until the edges are crispy and the center is cooked.
- 9 Remove the appam and repeat with the remaining batter.
Tips
For softer appams, ensure the batter is of pouring consistency and well-fermented.