KERALA PALAPPAM

Ingredients:
3 cups raw rice
1 tsp yeast + 1 tsp sugar  + ¾ cup warm water
2 – 3 Tbsp Sugar or to taste
around 1 tsp salt or to taste
1½ cups grated coconut
 1½ cups cooked rice
about 2½ cups water – enough to get the batter consistency right

Method:
Rinse the rice thoroughly. Soak the rice in plenty of cold water for 4 or more hours.
Place the yeast, sugar and warm water in a cup for 10 – 20 minutes till it has risen and is very frothy.
Grind together the soaked and drained rice, the coconut, sugar, salt, yeast solution in as little water as possible – just enough to grind  to a batter without too much friction- follow following steps.
To a heavy duty mixer/blender add and grind the raw rice first with 1 ½ cups of the ‘soaking’ water. When somewhat blended, add the coconut and ½ of the water, till blended, then add the cooked rice and ¼ cup of water. Grind till somewhat smooth and then add to the yeast mixture and mix well with salt and sugar.

The batter needs to be like idli batter consistency or thick pancake batter consistency.
LEAVE TO RISE:  around 8 hours  OR overnight, in a warm place till doubled in volume. (Remember to keep the batter in a large enough container to rise)

When ready to prepare,  add a little water if thick, to make a loose pancake batter OR a ‘Dosa Batter’ Consistency. Add salt or sugar if needed. Stir well from the bottom of the container.
Use an ‘Apa Chatti’ OR Rounded non stick pan/ ‘kadai’ with a lid.
Pour a ladleful of batter, to the heated pan. Wait for 5 seconds.

Hold both handles and rotate the pan till the batter spreads over the pan evenly . Swirling two times should be enough. Swirl in one direction only.

Cover the pan, turn down the heat and cook for one to two minutes.

Remove the lid and turn up the heat to get a crisped edge.
The sides should be crisped a bit and golden and the centre should be a little ‘puffed’ up.

With a flat spatula, slide off the appam. ( do not flip the appam over- it requires cooking only on one side)

serve it with coconut milk  ,chutney or kurma.