This is a term equivalent to bread; the bread made of rice batter is poured into a deep bottomed cast iron pan/griddle called Appa Chatti. This South Indian pancake is relished for breakfast or dinner. These fairly bland appams are served in parts of Kerala with a spicy condiment like mutton stew/chicken curry. In some regions of the South it is served with coconut milk and sugar poured over the appams. This South Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine recipe tags different names and ways of preparation some even use toddy to ferment the batter. The most common types of hoppers are milk hoppers, egg hoppers, string hoppers etc.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups raw rice
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp dried yeast
- 100 ml milk
Method:
- Wash and then soak the raw rice in a large bowl for 4-5 hours.
- Once soaked, mix the raw and cooked rice together in a blender or food processor. Add the coconut milk to the mix and blend till a smooth paste is formed. Remove the batter into a bowl.
- Add a little water at a time (only if required) to get a batter with pouring consistency – like pancake batter.
- Warm a cup of water till tepid. Add the sugar, salt and yeast to this water and stir. Add this to the above batter and mix well. Leave the batter overnight at room temperature to ferment.
- When you are ready to make the Appams, heat a small non-stick kadai (wok) or the appa chatti on medium flame and pour a ladle of batter into the centre. Quickly swirl the kadai to spread the batter thinly on the walls. What has not stuck to the walls of the kadhai should pool in the bottom (Appams should look like a bowl with thick bottom!). Cover the kadai and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the Appam is golden and crispy on its thin edges and cooked and fluffy at the bottom.
- Gently run a spatula under the Appam to release it from the kadhai and serve hot with any curry or coconut milk and sugar.
Preparation Time(Soaking and grinding time incl.) :16 hours
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 4-6