Kerala Appam

Method

1. 1

   Rinse and soak the rice

   Rinse the raw rice under cold running water, then cover it with plenty of fresh cold water and soak at room temperature for 4 hours, until swollen; drain well.

2. 2

   Blend the rice

   Blend the drained rice, cooked rice, coconut milk and 250 ml of the measured water for 2 to 3 minutes at high speed, until as smooth as possible.

3. 3

   Activate the yeast

   Stir the yeast and sugar into the remaining 100 ml water at 35 to 40°C and leave at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy.

4. 4

   Season the batter

   Stir the yeast mixture and salt into the rice batter for 1 minute at room temperature, until evenly combined.

5. 5

   Ferment the batter

   Cover and ferment at 20 to 24°C for 8 to 12 hours, until bubbly, slightly risen and lightly tangy; check from 6 hours in a warm room and stop before it collapses.

6. 6

   Check the batter consistency

   Stir gently at room temperature and add water 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 100 ml, until the batter pours freely in a thin stream; rest for 5 minutes.

7. 7

   Heat the appam pan

   Heat a rounded appam pan over medium heat for 2 minutes, then wipe the cooking surface lightly with oil; lower the heat to medium-low before adding batter.

8. 8

   Pour and swirl the batter

   Pour 100 to 120 ml batter into the rounded pan over medium-low heat, lift it and swirl once around until a thin layer climbs the sides and a thicker pool remains in the centre.

9. 9

   Cook one appam

   Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the centre is set and no longer wet-looking and the rim is golden and crisp; do not flip.

10. 10

    Cook the remaining appam

    Lift out the appam with a thin spatula and keep warm; repeat over medium-low heat, lightly oiling the pan if needed, until all batter is used, making about 8 to 10 appam.

11. 11

    Serve

    Serve the appam hot, immediately after cooking, while the centres are soft and the edges crisp.

Tips

• For grinding in a standard blender, process in batches and combine the batter before adding the yeast mixture.
• Use a rounded appam pan for the traditional shape. A small non-stick frying pan can cook the batter, but will make less lacy appam; do not expect the batter to climb flat sides.
• The yield is about 8 to 10 appam, depending on pan size and batter portion. Keep cooked appam covered while finishing the batch. Fermentation is temperature-dependent, so use the bubbles, slight rise and gentle tang as cues.

Swaps

• Use rapeseed or sunflower oil to grease the pan.

Storing

Cool leftover appam, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat covered in a pan over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until hot throughout.