Kerala Appam Recipe | Appam without yeast | Appam Batter with step by step pics and a short Youtube video. If you like my video, please do SUBSCRIBE to my channel ‘Asmallbite’. Popularly known as appam or palappam, a famous Kerala breakfast served with Sweetened Coconut Milk or Kadala Curry or Vegetable stew. It is referred to by different names all over south India but the taste and preparation remain fairly consistent. They are gluten-free and vegan as well. It is known as Appam in Tamil and Malayalam, Gulle Eriyappa in Karnataka, furthermore, if interested, check my other Kerala breakfast recipes like Rice Puttu and String Hoppers/Idiyappam.
What is Appam?
Appam is a South Indian pancake dish, made with fermented rice batter, along with cooked rice or grated coconut or poha, common in the South Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu as well as in Sri Lanka.
✔ Rice
- I have used a combination of raw rice and idli rice. But if you don’t have idli rice in hand, go ahead with raw rice alone, else sona masoori or ponni rice too works well.
✔ How to get spongy appam every time?
- Soak the rice and dal for a minimum time of 4 to 5 hours.
- Use good quality and whole urad dal
- The addition of poha or freshly grated coconut or coconut milk or leftover cooked rice does the magic.
✔ What should be the batter’s texture and consistency?
- The appam batter should be ground really smooth and fine.
- The consistency of the batter should be slightly thinner than the dosa batter.
- If the appam batter recipe is too thick, it won’t get cooked properly in the middle, so dilute with water or coconut milk to get a pouring consistency.
✔ Fermentation
- Proper fermentation of the batter is a must to get the perfect appam (time varies from 8 to 15 hours).
✔ Why Cooking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) and when to add it?
- It is an alternative to Appam without Yeast or toddy, which helps in the fermentation
- Don’t add too much as it will lead to appam stick to the pan
- Add the soda just before making appams
- If you add more soda, the appam will not be white but will be a little yellow. Then add more batter to troubleshoot.
✔ Can I avoid using Cooking Soda?
- Just make one and see if you get good holes as it gets cooked. If it’s fine, no need to add cooking soda.
✔ How to get light golden colored appam?
- Methi seeds are a must, to get the golden crust
- Add little sugar to the batter, which lends a beautiful golden color
- Cooking the appam in low flame patiently is the key secret
✔ What type of vessel is used to prepare appam?
- Appe pan or Appa Chatti works best as you get soft fluffy texture in the center and crisp texture towards the edges.
- Even an iron griddle can be used, but grease with oil. But, it is not required to use oil, if preparing on a non-stick pan.
✔ How to get the perfect appam?
- If the appam batter is too thick, it won’t get cooked properly in the middle, so dilute with water/ coconut milk for a pouring consistency.
- Ensure to pour on the medium-hot pan, else the batter will not spread while you rotate.
✔ What can go wrong while making Appam?
- If too much poha, cooked rice, or grated coconut is used while grinding the batter, the appam turns sticky.
- If the appam is very heavy, then the batter is very thick. Just dilute with some coconut milk or water.
- If the holes are really big and if the appam is not sticking to the pan, it means the batter is very thin. Add more batter or rice flour to adjust the consistency.
- If the appam is not browning, then it means the batter has not been fermented properly or very little sugar has been added.
Check my other famous Kerala Recipes like
1. Malabar Parotta
2. Kerala Sambar
3. Aviyal
4. Kootu Curry
5. Beetroot Thoran
6. Jackfruit Kheer
Appam without yeast
Kerala Appam Recipe | Appam without Yeast | Appam Batter
Equipment
- Stovetop
- Appam Pan
- Wet Grinder
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250 ML, 1 tsp = 5 ML
- 1½ Cup Raw Rice
- 1½ Cup Idli Rice
- ⅛ Cup Urad Dal
- 1 tsp Methi Seeds
- ¼ Cup Poha / Cooked Rice
- 1 tsp Sugar
- Salt As Required
- 1 Generous Pinch Cooking Soda
Instructions
- 1.To a bowl, add 1 and 1/2 cups of raw rice.
- Then, add 1 and 1/2 cups of idli rice. If you do not have idli rice, you can use raw rice itself, Sona masoori or ponni works well.
- In a separate bowl, add 1/8 cup of urad dal.
- To the urad dal, add 1 tsp of methi seeds or vendhayam.
- Rinse and soak everything for 4 to 5 hours. I used 1/2 cup of leftover rice (soaked in water). But leftover cooked rice can be replaced with the same quantity of poha or flattened rice or aval.
- After 4 hours, drain the water completely from the rice and urad dal. You can grind in a grinder or in a mixie, but I used a grinder. First, add the urad dal and methi seeds.
- Grind it smoothly, by adding 1//8 cup of water. Then, transfer the ground urad dal batter to a tall vessel.
- Now, add the raw rice, idli rice, and the leftover cooked rice. Grind it for 15 to 20 minutes, just add about 3/4 cup of water, the batter should be very smooth. It should be thinner than idli batter, but do not add more water and make the batter watery.
- Now pour the ground rice batter into the urad dal batter. Add required salt, 1 tsp of sugar, and mix well. Cover it with a lid and let it ferment for 8 hours or overnight.
- After fermentation, the batter would have become frothy and almost doubled. Add a generous pinch of cooking soda just before making the appam. Don't add too much cooking soda as it will lead to appam stick to the pan.
- Mix well and if required adjust the batter with little water (free pouring consistency). The consistency of the batter should be slightly thinner than dosa batter.
- Heat an appam pan and pour 1 ladle full of the batter. Hold the two sides of the pan and rotate in a circular motion to make a circle, leaving little batter still in the middle. The center part of appam should be thick and the sides should be thin and lacy. If preferred, drizzle 1 tsp of oil around the appam (if you use oil before, then the batter will not spread evenly) and cover it with a lid. Keep the flame low to medium. Cook till its bottom turns light golden brown and the edges turn crispy.
- If you want soft, white-colored appam, remove it before the edges turn crispy. Do the same with the remaining batter.Serve this Kerala Appam Recipe with Homemade Coconut Milk or Kadala Curry.
Video
Notes
Tips for Appam without Yeast
1. Idli rice can be replaced with the same quantity of raw rice too. Otherwise, sona masoori or ponni rice works well to make this Appam Batter. 2. Soak the rice and dal for a minimum time of 4 to 5 hours. It helps in easy grinding and yields a soft Kerala Appam Recipe. 3. I used leftover cooked rice (for softness). It can be replaced with the same quantity of poha or flattened rice/aval. 4. Instead of adding cooked rice or poha, the same quantity of freshly grated coconut or coconut milk can be used while grinding. If using Coconut Milk for grinding, then keep a check on the water quantity. 5. The batter should be ground really smooth and fine for this Appam without Yeast. 6. Proper fermentation of the batter is a must to get the perfect appam (time varies from 8 to 15 hours). 7. If the batter is too thick, it won't get cooked properly in the middle, so dilute with water or coconut milk for a pouring consistency. 8. If the batter becomes too thin, then add some rice flour to it. 9. Don't add the cooking soda more than mentioned, else the appam sticks to the pan. 10. If you don't want to add cooking soda, just make one and see. If you get good holes as it gets cooked, then no need to add cooking soda. 11. Appam/ Appe pan or Appa Chatti works best as you get soft fluffy texture in the center and crisp texture towards the edges. 12. Ensure to pour on the medium-hot pan, else the batter will not spread while you rotate for this Appam without Yeast. 13. Furthermore, if using an iron griddle, grease with oil. But, it is not required to use oil, if preparing on a non-stick pan.
Appam Batter Recipe
Method for Kerala Appam Recipe
1.To a bowl, add 1 and 1/2 cups of raw rice.
2. Then, add 1 and 1/2 cups of idli rice. If you do not have idli rice, you can use raw rice itself, Sona masoori or ponni works well.
3. In a separate bowl, add 1/8 cup of urad dal.
4. To the urad dal, add 1 tsp of methi seeds or vendhayam.
5. Rinse and soak everything for 4 to 5 hours. I used 1/2 cup of leftover rice (soaked in water). But leftover cooked rice can be replaced with the same quantity of poha or flattened rice or aval.
6. After 4 hours, drain the water completely from the rice and urad dal. You can grind in a grinder or in a mixie, but I used a grinder. First, add the urad dal and methi seeds.
7. Grind it smoothly, by adding 1//8 cup of water. Then, transfer the ground urad dal batter to a tall vessel.
8. Now, add the raw rice, idli rice, and the leftover cooked rice. Grind it for 15 to 20 minutes, just add about 3/4 cup of water, the batter should be very smooth. It should be thinner than idli batter, but do not add more water and make the batter watery.
9. Now pour the ground rice batter into the urad dal batter. Add required salt, 1 tsp of sugar, and mix well. Cover it with a lid and let it ferment for 8 hours or overnight.
10. After fermentation, the batter would have become frothy and almost doubled. Add a generous pinch of cooking soda just before making the appam. Don’t add too much cooking soda as it will lead to appam stick to the pan.
11. Mix well and if required adjust the batter with little water (free pouring consistency). The consistency of the batter should be slightly thinner than dosa batter.
12. Heat an appam pan and pour 1 ladle full of the batter. Hold the two sides of the pan and rotate in a circular motion to make a circle, leaving little batter still in the middle. The center part of appam should be thick and the sides should be thin and lacy. If preferred, drizzle 1 tsp of oil around the appam (if you use oil before, then the batter will not spread evenly) and cover it with a lid. Keep the flame low to medium. Cook till its bottom turns light golden brown and the edges turn crispy.
13. If you want soft, white-colored appam, remove it before the edges turn crispy. Do the same with the remaining appam batter.
Serve this Kerala Appam Recipe with Homemade Coconut Milk or Kadala Curry.
Kerala Appam Recipe
Welcome to my blog www.asmallbite.com. Thanks for reading my blog! I hope you’re enjoying my recipes to make the taste forever. I am Priya Santhamohan, writer and photographer (with hubby’s help) of this blog. 
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