Tamil Style Aappam / Appam

Tamil style Aappam / appam   - A popular breakfast dish in Tamil Nadu, goes well with any spicy curry / korma / coconut milk / sugar of your choice. This type of aappam available @ Nala's appa kadai, Chennai and also this recipe totally different from Kerala palappam / appam !!!

Makes : 12 - 13

Ingredients

2 cups raw rice (Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity)

1 tablespoon  urad dal

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi / uluva)

3 cups water (to soak dal & rice)

2 tablespoon cooked and cooled rice

200 ml medium thick coconut milk (homemade or Maggi instant coconut milk. If using  Maggi instant coconut milk, mix 25 g  instant coconut milk powder with 200 ml water. Make a smooth solution)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 sachet (5 g) Eno fruit salt (readily available @ supermarkets & medical stores. It’s an antacid. Good for digestion too)

Method

Wash and soak urad dal, fenugreek seeds & rice in 3 cups of water for 4 hours. Drain out water and make a smooth paste in a mixer. Add 1/4 cup water and 2 tablespoon cooled and cooked rice  when  making the paste. It should be a medium thick paste. Do not add more water during grinding. Final stage of  this recipe required 1 cup coconut milk.

Transfer the batter to another big container / vessel and add salt. Mix well. Cover  and keep aside to ferment for 7 - 8 hours or overnight.

Next day or after fermentation, add sugar,  Eno fruit salt and coconut milk. Stir continuously for 2 - 3 minutes. Once you add Eno fruit, prepare aappam immeditely (within half an hour). Do not keep aappam batter too long. Then golden brown lace won’t form.

Final preparation:

Tip- Do not refrigerate aappam batter during fermenting. Aappachatti is used to make Aappam (or one can use normal dosa pan / dosa tawa).

1, Heat non stick appachatty.

2, Grease the appachatty with little oil.

3, Pour one and half  ladleful of aappam batter into the aappachatty.

4, Lift the pan (from the stove) and slightly twist around to spread the batter in the pan to make circular shape .

5, Close aappachatty with a lid and cook on low heat till the edges are golden brown. When the Aappam is ready the edges resemble crisp lace and centre soft. Traditionally this is eaten with korma / spicy curries / coconut milk/ sugar .