Appam - முட்டை ஆப்பம் - A perfect and detailed appam recipe - Step by step

    Today is day 5 of Friendship Series , running under the theme of " Village style food". Today I am going to share an authentic recipe of my MIL.It is appam or rice crepes.

      Appam is a authentic breakfast, which are prepared in Kerala as well as Tamil Nadu. In olden days, these royal breakfast was prepared , when there is a guest or when it is a festival. The appam can be made crispy or plain. We can serve it with an egg or as such. My Mil, remembered her days, when her mother prepared these egg appam for her. This particular recipe is several years old. This is fool [roof recipe of my MIL. I get perfect appam using this recipe. Its adviceable to use a non stick appam pan to get a good appam. Prepare appam , without any hassles, from now on.

                                                    Check my Vegetable stew recipe here

                                                    Check my Kadalai Curry recipe here.

                                                    Check my Kerala Egg curry recipe here.

Soaking time : 2 hrs
Grinding time : 20 mins ( approx)
Fermenting time : 6 to 8 hours
Cooking time : 10 mins

Ingredients:
1.Raw rice - 1 cup
2.Idli rice - 1 cup
3.Urad dal - 1/2 cup
4.Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp
5.Coconut pieces - 4 or use shredded coconut
6.Coconut water - 1/2 cup
7.Baking soda - a fat pinch
8.Salt - to taste
9.Water- as needed

For egg appam:
1.Egg -1
2.Salt - to taste
3.Pepper powder - to taste

Plain Appam !!!

Method:

* Measure the rice and urad dal in a mixing bowl. Wash them 3 to 4 times. Soak the rice and urad dal mixture with the methi seeds for atleast 2 hours. * After 2 hours, strain them and add it to the grinder and grind into smooth . In the middle, add the coocnut pieces. But I felt that the coconut pieces stuck under the stone of the grinder. So I would suggest you to use shredded coconut, for the batter to be smooth. * The batter should be smooth . Add coocnut water and salt and mix the batter .The batter should be bit thin. Turn on the ligh in your oven and place the batter, covered. Let it sit for atleast 6 to 7 hours or overnight. * When we are ready to cook the appam, Add baking soda and mix. Always take the amount of batter,w which is needed and mix the baking soda. And try to use all the batter, which has baking soda in it. Never refrigerate the batter with baking soda, then the baking soda will react with the batter and make it hard. Heat the appam pan well. A heated pan will yield a good appam. * Add a laddle of batter . Take the pan in your hand and swirl it around to form a thin appam. If you don't want to add egg to the appam, just cover the pan and cook. After a minute or so, the appam would have cooked very well. Serve with coconut milk or egg curry. * For egg appam, break a egg and add in the centre of the appam. Sprinkle salt and pepper powder and cover the pan. After a minute drizzle oil on the outer edges. Serve it with egg curry or chicken curry. It tastes best, when it is served hot. Enjoy with vegetable stew or chicken curry or egg curry.

Notes:

* Soak the rice and urad dal for atleast 2 hours, if not the batter will not be grinded properly.

* Use shredded coconut, instead of coconut pieces for a smooth batter.

* Don't leave the batter out for too long, while fermenting, then the batter will become sour.

* If you want plain appam, don't add oil, just cook it by covering.

* Always add baking soda, while you are about to cook the appam.

* We can also add ghee instead of oil, to get crispier edges.

*  Finish the batter within 4 to 5 days, as it has coconut.

* Adding coconut water is optional.

* The batter should always be bit runny to get a perfect appam.

* Some people will also use coconut milk, to the batter, when we are about to cook the appam.

Linking this to "Friendship 5 Series ", started by "Savitha Ramesh" and "Geetha Achal"