"Instant" Appam

Our BreadBakers challenge for June was to make an Indian bread.  I've made naan and parathas, lots of flat breads, but when I saw appam, I was intrigued.  When I found a quick version that called for rice flour, I was even happier since I had a full bag available that was languishing in the pantry.  Appams are a kind of pancake with thin, lacey sides and a soft, dumpling like middle.  I heard the edges described as being like a dosa and the middle like an idli.  For my comparisons, having grown up in a Scandinavian town where you could get Swedish pancakes cooked to taste and our tasty was very crispy, that's what the edges reminded me of, while the centers were like a sourdough pancake that was 90% fluffy and 10% mochi.  They grew on me very quickly, and my youngest tried a bite and then came out asking if she could have another.  I quite like them!  They are often served with curry on top as well as plain with coconut milk.  I tried mine with a tiny drizzle of coconut cream I had on hand and it was delicious, the center with just the tiniest hint of tang from the couple/few hours of fermentation.  They were excellent reheated in the air fryer too. 

Traditionally, appam are fermented with a local alcoholic drink known as toddy – which is a drink made from palm flower or coconut flower.  The batter is blended from soaked rice and fresh grated coconut, along with a little sugar.  Some of the batter is cooked down and added back to the original.  And there is also the overnight fermentation.  This recipe was so accessible and easy, even if not quite traditional.  I would make these again, especially since you can also use coconut milk instead of just water if you don't have easy access to fresh coconut.  Since this was the case for me, I did use a can of coconut milk with a couple tbsp water added to make 2 cups.  I would love to find some fresh or frozen fresh coconut to try though.

The appam is cooked in an appam pan called an appachatty or kadhai; basically, a little mini wok.  It's very cute and works best for the shape and cooking, to achieve the thin edges and soft center.  I'll bet with some care, these could be made as little mini appams in an aebelskiver pan!

The video I followed lists medium heat for cooking, but for my strong flamed gas stove I found low to be the sweet spot for heat.  Too hot and you cannot swirl properly and the edge holes will be far too large.  One minute was perfect to steam the centers and then remove the lid and another 30-60 seconds to get the edges to the golden crispness I desired.

 
Same Day Appam
serves 3

250g rice flour
2 tbsp sugar (or less if desired)
½ cup fresh coconut, grated
2 cups warm water
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½ tsp yeast (I used instant yeast) (The video lists 1 tsp but verbalized ½ tsp)
1 tsp sugar
½ cup warm water
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1 tsp salt
oil for frying (small amount to brush the pan and drizzle around the edges)  

Combine the ½ cup lukewarm water, yeast, and 1 tsp sugar and let bloom for 10-15 minutes

Combine the rice flour, 2 tbsp sugar, and shredded fresh coconut.  Add along with the 2 cups warm water to a blender and blitz on high speed until the batter is smooth.  (In the absence of fresh coconut, canned coconut milk may be used instead of water for this step.  One can plus a tbsp or two of water will make up the two cups.)

Stir the activated yeast mixture into the rice batter until well combined.  Cover and set aside in a warm location for an hour or so. 

This batter got super happy with 1 tsp yeast 
on the oven proof setting for two hours.

 Once the batter has had time to ferment a little, stir in the salt and mix well.  (Remember the salt!)

Heat the appam pan over medium/low heat and brush with a tiny amount of oil.  (Too much oil and/or too hot, and the batter will just slide to the center and not be able to swirl up the edges.) 

Take a ladle about ¾ full and pour the batter into the center of the pan.  Then lift the pan and tip and swirl the batter up and around the edges, just below the rivets of the handles.  (The traditional style is round but I saw some fancy flower shapes and that is just tipping the pan in five directions.) 

 
Cover the pan with the lid and let the appam cook for 40-60 seconds.  The center should be soft and puffed and the edges will be starting to brown.  Cook for another 30 seconds if necessary to brown and release the crispy edges, then slide the appam onto a tray and prepare the remaining batter in the same fashion.

Level of crisp and color is certainly to personal taste.

 If desired, the edges may be drizzled with a little more oil after removing the lid.  (I found that it wasn't very necessary and only did a few that way.) 

Serve with a coconut chutney, vegetable stew, curry, or a little coconut milk or sweetened coconut cream for a treat.

Note: when reheated in the air fryer, the edges curl up and get super crispy.  I liked them both fresh with the delicate crisp edges and reheated with the crunchy crisp edges.  They can also be reheated in the oven or carefully in the microwave.  They just need to be heated through. 

Here are some more Indian breads to check out:

• Butter Naan: Passion Kneaded
• Cheese and Garlic Naan: Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Gujarati-style Savory Pancakes: Food Lust People Love
• Gulachi Sanjyachya Polya With Whole Wheat Flour: Sneha's Recipe
• Khamiri roti: Zesty South Indian Kitchen
• "Instant" Appam: A Messy Kitchen 
• Litti Choka: Cook with Renu
• Magical Avocado Paratha: A Day in the Life on the Farm

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakers home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.