Vellayappam
Lacy fermented rice pancake — raw rice soaked and ground with a small amount of cooked rice and toddy (or yeast) into a thin, smooth batter, fermented overnight until it develops a slight sour tang and begins to bubble, then ladled into a small seasoned iron wok (appachatti), which is swirled to coat the sides with a thin layer of batter; the thick centre pools and the thin edge laces as it cooks covered for two to three minutes. The edge becomes crisp and holey — a lacework of tiny air bubbles — while the thick centre remains soft, white, and slightly sour. The quintessential Travancore breakfast bread; inseparable from kozhi stew, fish molee, or potato-egg curry. No other South Indian bread can absorb coconut milk gravies as perfectly as the concave centre of an appam.
Cuisines
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Recipe
Ingredients
| 1 cup | raw rice |
| 1/4 cup | cooked rice |
| 1/2 cup | grated coconut |
| 1 teaspoon | active dry yeast |
| 1 tablespoon | sugar |
| 1/2 teaspoon | salt |
| 1 cup | water |
| 1/4 teaspoon | baking soda |
Instructions
- 1 Wash and soak the raw rice in water for 4-5 hours.
- 2 Drain the soaked rice and grind it with the cooked rice, grated coconut, and water to form a smooth batter.
- 3 Dissolve the yeast and sugar in a little warm water and let it sit for 10 minutes until frothy.
- 4 Add the yeast mixture to the rice batter and mix well.
- 5 Cover the batter and let it ferment in a warm place for 8 hours or overnight.
- 6 Before making the appams, add salt and baking soda to the fermented batter and mix gently.
- 7 Heat a non-stick appam pan or a small wok on medium heat.
- 8 Pour a ladleful of batter into the center of the pan and gently swirl to spread the batter in a circular motion.
- 9 Cover the pan with a lid and cook until the appam is cooked through and the edges are crispy.
- 10 Remove the appam and repeat with the remaining batter.
Tips
For a softer texture, ensure the batter is well fermented and adjust the consistency with water if needed.