The appam turn out spongy and fluffy. Perfect South Indian breakfast to serve with a spicy curry. Do try this easy recipe, I am sure you will love these.
About the Recipe
Appam are soft and lacy crepes/ pancakes made widely in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Traditional recipe requires soaking and grinding rice and then fermenting the batter. It needs lot of time and tiny bit of patience to make perfect appam. So, I have an easy foolproof recipe for instant appam that takes just a fraction of the time. Using rice flour instead of raw rice, shortens the soaking and grinding time. Yeast helps in rising the batter quicker which gives the spongy texture. Canned coconut milk gives the same sweet flavor as the traditional appam. A well fermented batter is a must for perfectly spongy and lacy appam. Even though yeast makes the rising easier, I use an Instant pot to give it a warm environment in cold weather. It takes just a few minutes to put the batter together. So, if you prep everything first thing in the morning, then appam will be ready to make for breakfast. Serve with a spicy curry and coffee/ tea and enjoy!!
Ingredients
For the details of the exact quantities of each ingredient and the list of ingredients needed, check the printable recipe card below. Here are the ingredients you need to make instant appam with rice flour and coconut milk:
Rice flour ~ I use the store bought rice flour from Indian store. Use a finely ground rice flour.Cooked rice ~ use any leftover rice you may have.Yeast ~ use instant or rapid rise yeast.Canned coconut milk ~ either full fat or light will work.Sugar & Salt.Warm Water
You will need an appam/ appamchatty pan to make appam.
Instructions
For the detailed instructions on how to make the recipe with exact timings, check the printable recipe card below. Here is how to make this quick appam recipe with yeast:
Make Appam Batter
In a blender, combine rice flour, cooked rice, sugar, yeast and salt. Add the coconut milk and warm water. Blend into a smooth batter with no lumps. Pour the batter into a large bowl.
Let batter rise
Cover the bowl and set aside in a warm place to rise for about 2~3 hours. I pour the batter into the inner pot of the Instant Pot and set it on Yogurt setting for 2~3 hours. Check after 2 hours to see how much the batter has risen. Gently mix and add more water if needed to make a pourable batter.
Make Appam
Heat the appam pan on medium heat. Once hot, pour ⅓~½ cup of batter (depending on the size of your pan) into the hot pan. Immediately, swirl the pan around to spread into the batter into a evenly thin layer. Cover and cook for about 2 minutes or until the appam feels dry on the top and starts to peel off from the pan. Once cooked, appam will peel off from the pan by itself. Remove onto a plate and repeat with the remaining batter. Serve right away with stew.
Expert Tips
I use store bought rice flour from Indian grocery. Just make sure to use finely ground rice flour for the recipe.Any leftover rice you have on hand will work.Use either instant or rapid rise yeast.Either full fat or light coconut milk can be used here.Make sure to swirl the hot pan as soon as you add the batter to it. This ensures thin, lacy appam without any lumps. Appam are best eaten hot off the pan. So make sure to have your side dish ready and serve them hot as you make them.Store any leftover batter for 1 day in the fridge.
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Here are a few more Kerala recipes that you might like: I love hearing from you!! If you’ve tried this and liked it, then don’t forget to let me know. Give a star rating and let me know in the comments below. Also tag me in your creations on Instagram @cooks_hideout. I love sharing photos when people make my recipes. You can use the hashtag #cookshideout too.
Recipe Card
