APPAM - VELLAYAPPAM RECIPE WITH RAVA KURUKKU

by - January 25, 2016


APPAM
APPAM - VELLAYAPPAM RECIPE WITH RAVA KURUKKU
    
   
     Appam/Vellayappam is a type of pancake made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk and colloquially called Vellayappam(white appam in Malayalam).  It is popular in most parts of South India especially in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.  Appam is also cooked in Sri Lanka, Burma, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. It is called by different names in different places - Appam/Aappam/Vellayappam/Hoppers. It is eaten mostly for breakfast or for dinner.
     There are many variations in cooking Appam. Though the basic ingredients - raw rice & coconut remains the same, some add Cooked Rice/ Semolina(White Rava) paste for a better texture.  Yeast is also substituted with KALLU (PALM TODDY) which is called as Kallappam. Some even add Eggs to the batter for a fluffy texture. Some recipes call for Urad Dhal along with Rice while making Appam batter. 
    This is one of my methods of cooking Vellayappam, along with the Semolina paste(Rava Kurukku). This is a foolproof recipe, allow the batter to ferment accordingly and there you go with a perfect Appam/Vellayappam. This Appam/Vellayappam would be soft and fluffy in the centre and crispy on the sides.

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Cuisine - South India, Sri Lanka & Southeast Asian
Course - Main Course
Difficulty - Medium
Yields - 30-35 Appams
Author - SM


Preparation Time - 15-20 Minutes
Soaking Time - 3-4 Hours
Fermentation Time - 10-12 Hours/Overnight
 
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HOW TO MAKE APPAM - VELLAYAPPAM WITH RAVA KURUKKU




INGREDIENTS :

To Grind :

Raw Rice  -  4 cups
Cooked Rice  -  1 cup
Grated Coconut  -  1 Cup
Egg  -  1 No.(Optional)
Salt  -  To Taste

For Rava Kurukku / Semolina Paste :
Rava/ Semolina  -  3 Tbspns
Water  -  2 Cups


For Yeast Mix :
Yeast  -  3 Tspns
Sugar  -  2 Tbspns
Water  -  1/4 Cup

METHOD :

Yeast Mix :  
  • Activate the yeast by putting it in lukewarm water along with 2 Tbspns of Sugar.
  • Leave it aside until it ferments. (For about 15-20 Minutes)

Rava Kurukku / Semolina Paste :
  • Add 3 Tbspns of Semolina to 2 cups of Water and mix well.
  • Boil the mixture on a medium flame until it becomes thick & glossy, stirring consistently.
  • Mix it all along otherwise it would form into lumps.
For the Batter :
  • Wash & Soak the Raw Rice for about 3-4 hours.
  • Once soaked, drain the Rice. (Can use the water used for soaking to grind the batter)
  • Grind Raw Rice, Cooked Rice and Coconut until it turns into a very smooth batter.
  • Add the Semolina Paste and grind for few more minutes.
  • Now add an egg to the above and grind for few more minutes(Optional).
  • Add the Yeast Mix to the above batter.
  • Finally, add Salt and mix the batter well.
  • Store it in an airtight container and leave it aside for another 10 - 12 hours or overnight to ferment.

To make Appam/Vellayappam :

  • Heat the Appam pan.
  • Pour a ladle full of batter into the pan.
  • Swirl the pan once, in such a way that the batter spreads around.
  • The centre of the Vellayappam should be slightly thicker than the edges.
  • Cover the pan with the lid and let it cook for around two minutes.
  • The flame should be kept at low.
  • Once the edges start to brown and the centre is cooked, the Appam/Vellayappam is ready.
  • Remove the Appam/Vellayappam from the pan.
  • Can serve with Stew, Red Coconut Chutney, Egg Curry with Coconut Milk or any curry of your choice. 
  • Appam/Vellayappam tastes great with sweetened Coconut Milk or simply serve it with Sugar/Brown Sugar.
  • Can also serve Steamed Bananas/Nendhra Pazham Puzhungiyathu/Nendhra Pazham cooked in Sugar Syrup along with Cloves as a side dish for Appam/Velleyappam.

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NOTES : 
  • Can use warm water to grind the batter, this is to speed up the fermenting process.
  • The Appam batter should be slightly thinner than the Dosa batter. 
  • Swirling the batter in the pan ONCE, yields crispy edges and soft, fluffy centres.
  • Adding egg to the Appam batter is totally optional. 
  • Activate the yeast in luke warm water. Do not use boiling water for the purpose. 
  • Adding Sugar to the Yeast Mix will speed up the activating process.
  • If you need to quicken the fermenting process, avoid adding Salt to the Appam/Vellayappam batter.
  • Add Salt just before making Appam/Vellayappam.
  • Fermentation time depends upon the weather.  Adjust accordingly.

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12 comments

  1. Hello SM

    Your Appam looks great. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe. I have tried a few other Appam recipes but somehow they did not work out. Where I live, we use standard measuring cup, teaspoon and tablespoon. Suspect it could be due to different measuring tools used. Hence, appreciate if you could confirm whether the measurement below converted to gram/ml is correct.

    Recipe
    Batter (To grind)
    4 cups raw rice (800g)
    1 cup cooked rice (200g)
    1 cup grated coconut (200g)
    Salt – to taste

    Semolina Paste
    3 tablespoon semolina (39g)
    2 cups water (500ml)

    Yeast Mix
    3 tsp yeast (15g)
    2 tablespoon sugar (13g)
    1/4 cup water (63ml)

    Look forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello,
      I would like to say don't be too precise when it comes to cooking such dishes. Though measurements play a major role a little less/more doesn't really reflect much on the results of dishes like Appam. Trial & Error, is what cooking is.
      As you asked, I have tried to give you approximate values
      1 Cup of Uncooked Rice = 175-185 Gms
      1 Cup of Cooked Rice = 195- 200 Gms
      1 Cup of Shredded Coconut = 100 Gms
      1 Cup of Water = 237 ml
      1 Tablespoon of Granulated Sugar = 12.5 Gms
      1 Tablespoon of Semolina = 11.3 Gms
      1 Teaspoon of Yeast = 3.5 Gms
      And about the amount of water, for making semolina paste use 2 cups of water for the given measurement. And for grinding the Appam Batter, adjust accordingly. The final batter should be thinner than Dosa Batter. The amount of water required to grind and adjust the consistency of the batter, totally depends upon the type of Raw Rice used. Adding Salt at the initial stage will slow down the fermentation process, so add it just before making Appam. Adjust the fermenting time depending on the weather/region you live in. Adding Egg to the appam batter is totally optional, adding it or not- doesn't make much difference in the texture of Appams. I've tried both ways.
      Please do feel free to ask if you have any more doubts and do let me know how the Appam turned out.

      Happy Cooking.
      SM


      Delete
    2. Hi SM

      Thank you for the prompt and detailed explanation. Will give it a try soon. Look forward to making good appams.

      Best regards
      Audrey

      Delete
    3. Hi Ms.Audrey,

      Good Luck and let me know how it turned out.

      Regards,
      SM

      Delete
    4. Hi SM

      Thank you. Will update you soon. Have a great weekend!

      Best regards
      Audrey

      Delete
  2. Hi SM

    I wrote to you about 3 weeks ago on how the Appam turned out but didn’t receive any reply from you. Anyway, after the 3rd attempt, I was finally able to make the crispy Appam. However, the cooked Appam turned out white instead of brown and the center didn’t turn out that soft and not so fluffy. Any idea how to rectify this to perfect my Appam?

    Look forward to hearing from you soon.

    Thanks
    Audrey

    ReplyDelete
  3. May 7, 2019 at 8:52 AM
    Subject: Re: [Essence of Life - Food] New comment on APPAM - VELLAYAPPAM RECIPE WITH RAVA KURUKKU.
    To: Unknown


    Hi Ms.Audrey,
    I learnt and perfected most of my recipes with a lot of trial and errors. It is a part of everyday cooking. The only irony is that the family members become our guinea pigs.

    Quality of Rice - Well, if you can get a good quality RAW RICE, the job gets easier. In India we can get varieties suitable for preparing Rice/Pongal and the other variety as for grinding Batter, for Rice Powders etc., But in Malaysia, where I live I find it difficult to get the rice for preparing batter, so I prepare with Raw Rice used for preparing Rice. High starch content and it is slightly sticky too.
    Consistency of the Batter - I had mentioned, the batter should be slightly thinner than the Dosa Batter.(You make Dosa?) Thick Batters do not yield crispy edges,turn out to be hard and thick at the centre. Consistency matters. Consistency of the Semolina paste would not be an issue at all, as you are going to grind all the ingredients together, so adjust the final consistency of the Batter. Too watery batter - you will find it difficult to remove it from the pan.
    If your batter turns out to the thick adjust the consistency using Coconut Milk/Water.
    Pan -Use a non-stick Appam Pan or a well seasoned pan for making Appam.
    Weather & fermentation - I wasn't sure of the weather of the place you are living in. Hot climate speeds the fermentation process. I live in a Tropical Climate where the temperature is always around 28 - 35 Degree Celsius. So I leave the Appam Batter in room temperature until I see the Big pop-pops(the breathing of yeast) and it would have a soury smell(like of a Coconut Toddy). It takes around 4-5 hours mostly. When the weather is cool with rain it takes around 6-8 hours. In India(South India) I used to leave it aside for about 10-12 hours/overnight. Adding Salt at the initial stage, will slow down the fermentation process. Adjust accordingly. Once the batter is fermented leave it in the refrigerator. Take the batter and leave it outside at room temperature for few minutes before making Appam.
    Crispy brown edges - The amount of Sugar can be increased to get crispy brown edges.Then while making Appam, heat the Appam pan at medium-high flame, reduce the flame to low, pour the batter(1 - 1/2 ladles) depending on the size of your pan. Gently swirl it through the edges once, this will help you get crispy thin edges. Cover and cook on a medium flame for brown edges. Covering the pan, will speed up the cooking process. Anyway we call this recipe Vellayappam which means White Appam. Most of the people like it to be in white colour. But as a thumb rule, at home all love crispy appams. I would send you a picture of the ones I make at home next time, the picture in the blog is a justified version to suit the rule. Even I make Appams without thick spongy centres, just the crispy thin Appams for my kids.

    Hope these point might help you. I wish my tips and recipe would help you make good Appams in future.
    Keep me updated.


    Regards,
    SM

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi SM

    Thank you for the prompt reply. Wow! Thanks for the detailed explanation on tips to make good Appam. I also live in Malaysia. A small world indeed.

    I don’t know how to make Dosa. Perhaps, that was why it was difficult to gauge the right consistency for the Appam batter.

    By the way, what type of rice do you use? I used Basmati/ Ponni rice (low starch content).

    Do you add extra sugar on the fermented batter before making Appam?

    Thanks
    Audrey

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Ms.Audrey,

    It's a Small World indeed!

    Now I can easily help you with the rice brand I use & with the fermentation time.
    I usually buy Jasmine Brand Super Special Tempatan 5% Beras Putih for Raw Rice, may be for Cooking Rice or for grinding Dosa, Appam Batter etc.,
    I leave the batter for about 4-5 hours for fermentation on a hot day. If it continuously raining(as in November-December) then leave it for another 1-2 hours.
    But still follow the tip, until the yeasts starts to bubble up in the batter.
    Sorry I couldn't guess that you haven't cooked Dosa yet. It is quite similar to Pancakes.
    I usually grind the batter along with Sugar.
    And adding Salt to the batter - I add it just before making Appams.

    Regards,
    SM

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi SM

    Thanks for the additional useful tips.

    Which grocery/hypermarket do you normally buy this Jasmine Brand Super Special Tempatan 5% Beras Putih rice from?

    By the way, I look forward to seeing the photos of your Appam.

    Thanks
    Audrey

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Ms.Audrey,

      Sorry for the late reply. I had been to India for a holiday.
      I usaully buy my groceries in Tesco. This particular brand is available in all cash&carry outlets and hypermarkets. Even you can try buying Cap Rambutan, Jati etc., which also works well.

      I think it would be better if I have your email id. Otherwise, I need to reply to your comments only through the comment section.

      Regards,
      SM

      Delete
  7. Appam is one of my favourite dish. It can be made in many varieties. best rice manufacturers in kerala provide quality rice for make appam tasty. And here rava is also used in it. You have a variety of recipe collection. I like this very much.

    ReplyDelete

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