Appam (Fermented Rice Pancake)
Photo: KARTY JazZ, CC BY-SA 4.0
Appam is a fermented rice and coconut pancake from Kerala, and the shape is the reason to make it. Swirling the batter in a bowl-shaped pan leaves a soft, thick centre ringed by a crisp, lacy edge. The batter is ground with fresh coconut and a spoonful of cooked rice, then left overnight to rise. Serve it with a coconut vegetable stew, or with an egg, as it is eaten in Sri Lanka.
Instructions
Soak the raw rice in water until it is softened. Drain it and begin grinding in a blender or grinder until the grains are roughly a quarter broken down.
Add the grated coconut with a little water and keep grinding. Then add the sugar, the cooked rice and the yeast or kefir if you are using it. Grind until the mixture is completely smooth and thinner than ordinary pancake batter, with enough liquid that it swirls freely in the blender.
Pour the batter into a wide, open container and leave it overnight to rise. Plain batter may not ferment on its own, so the yeast or kefir is a useful backup, and kefir works best.
In the morning, stir in the salt. Refrigerate the batter until you are ready to cook.
Heat a tava or small bowl-shaped pan that is either non-stick or lightly greased with coconut oil, another refined oil or ghee. Pour a full serving spoon of batter into the middle and swirl the pan once so a thin film of batter climbs the sides.
Cover the pan with a hot lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. The appam is ready when the edges are slightly browned, the centre is thick and the rim is thin and lacy. Lift it out with a spatula and repeat with the remaining batter.
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