Appam~ Indian Flat Bread

Appam~ Indian Flat Bread

Holidaying in God’s Own Country?

Want to know what you can have for breakfast? The choices are myriad from idlis to dosas to Appams.

 I was surprised when I was researching Indian Flat breads that Appams, dosas make a part of flat breads. To read about Indian flat breads you can check out here.

Appams are very famous in the Kerala cuisine, an Appam is a fermented rice pancake made of rice and coconut.  Appam are eaten as a breakfast or dinner mostly. Traditionally Appam is made using toddy to ferment the batter, but now mostly yeast is used for this process. The batter usually needs about 8 hours or overnight to ferment. Good Appam shape should be thin one the outside with a thicker center that is well cooked and fluffy.

Appam

Recipe Source: My Cooking Journey
Preparation time:  about 8 hours
Cooking time: about 40 minutes
Difficulty level: easy
Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ cups raw rice (I used sona masoori)
• 1 cup grated coconut
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 tsp yeast
• 4 tsp sugar
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Soak the rice for about 4-5 hours or overnight.
• Drain the soaked rice and grind it well adding the coconut and the cooked rice along with it.
• Grind it to a smooth batter. The batter should neither be too thick or too thin.
• In a bowl dissolve the yeast in about ½ cup of tepid water and 1 tsp of sugar.
•  Let the yeast dissolve for about 10 minutes and then mix it well to avoid any lumps.
• Add the dissolved yeast, sugar and salt to the batter and mix it well.
• Keep it covered to ferment for about 3-5 hours.
• Once the batter is ready gently mix it.
• Heat the Appam pan (I used a kadhai/wok) and if needed grease it slightly. If it is a non stick pan, you will not need to grease it.
• Pour a ladle full of batter in the center of the pan and then holding the handles of the pan, swirl the pan around to spread the batter.
• Cover the lid on the pan and let the Appam cook in low heat for about 2-3 minutes.
• Once the bottom of the Appam is crispy and the top looks cooked remove it and keep it warm.
• Repeat the same with the rest of the batter.
• Serve it right away with a spicy curry or stew.

Appam~ Indian Flat Bread

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Vegetable Stew~Indian State Kerala

Vegetable Stew~Indian State Kerala

Today on day 14 we are at  Kerala  so let us explore cuisine from here.

The cuisine of Kerala is rich due to its history, geography, demography and culture of the land. Kerala cuisine has a multitude of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes prepared using fish, poultry and red meat.

Kerala Gods own country evokes thoughts of food and coconut. According to Wikipedia

“Coconuts grow in abundance in Kerala, and consequently, coconut kernel, (sliced or grated) coconut cream and coconut milk are widely used in dishes for thickening and flavouring. Kerala's long coastline, numerous rivers and backwater networks, and strong fishing industry have contributed to many sea and river food based dishes. Rice and cassava (Tapioca) form the staple food of Kerala. All main dishes are made with them and served along with Kootan; the side dishes which may be made from vegetables, meat, fish or a mix of all of them. The main dish for lunch and dinner is boiled rice. The Kerala breakfast shows a rich variety; the main dishes for which are made from rice flour, or fresh or dried cassava. Owing to the weather and the availability of spices, the Kerala cuisine is richly spicy especially the hot ones -chilli, black pepper, cardamom,  cloves,  ginger and cinnamon.”