Appam is a South Indian pancake made with a fermented rice and coconut milk batter, popular in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Sri Lanka. This instant, vegan, and gluten-free recipe is perfect for breakfast or dinner and pairs wonderfully with chutney, kurma, or curries.
Combine rice flour, cooked rice, shredded coconut, sugar, salt, yeast, and warm water in a blender.
Grind the ingredients until the mixture is a smooth batter.
Check the consistency; it should be slightly fluid, enough to pour easily.
Transfer this batter into a bowl, cover, and let it rest for 15 minutes in a warm place.
After the rest period, uncover the bowl; the batter will have expanded and fermented.
To Cook Appam in an Appam Pan
Pour two ladles of batter into a medium-heated appam pan and swirl to spread.
Cover with a lid and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove the lid and continue to cook until the edges turn crisp.
Carefully remove the appam from the pan and serve warm.
To Make Appam on a Tawa
Pour a ladleful of appam batter onto a heated tawa, spreading it slightly thicker than on an appam pan.
Cover with a lid and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Uncover and gently remove the appam from the tawa, ready to be savored.
To Serve
Enjoy your instant appam/vellayappam with a side of your choice, be it savory egg curry, creamy veg kurma, sweet coconut milk, or tangy tomato chutney.
Notes
Here are some expert tips to perfect your Appams:
This quick appam recipe uses instant rapid rise yeast to ferment the batter for soft and fluffy results; it's recommended to use it as directed.
Adding shredded coconut to the batter enhances the authentic flavor; you can substitute it with coconut milk if desired.
For traditional appams without yeast, follow the soaking, grinding, and fermentation method.