APPAM/VELLAYAPPAM - no proofing of yeast required

Appam and stew along with ethapazham puzhingiyathu, is the usual breakfast for festive occasions like Christmas , easter , marriage functions etc.
RECIPE

1. Basmati rice(raw rice or idily rice will work too) - 1 cup
2. Grated coconut - 1 cup
3. Yeast - 1/8 tsp
4. Sugar - 3 tbsp. (optional, will ferment perfectly even if you skip the sugar , only thing is that you won't get that reddish hue on the lace of the appam) 
5. Salt  ( 1/2 tsp if no sugar is added or 1/2 tsp plus 1/8 tsp if 3 Tbsp sugar is added)
6. Cooked rice (boiled rice or the matta rice) -1/2 cup  OR 1/2  red avval(beaten rice , poha) with 1/4 cup water
7. water-1cup lukewarm 

Method:

• Soak the rice for 6 to 8 hours
• Wash and drain the soaked rice.
• No proofing of yeast is required . In a mixie add ingredients 2- 6 , half of the drained rice and 1/2 cup of the lukewarm water and grind.
  

  

  
  

  
• Transfer the batter  to a bowl. (when doing that , don't transfer the whole batter , leave a little batter in the mixie jar. This will help the next set of rice to grind well). Now add the remaining rice and 1/4 cup water and grind. Transfer that to the bowl. Rinse the mixie with the remaining 1/4 cup water and wash it down into the batter.
  

  

  
  

 

          

• Keep it on the countertop to rise .

Fermenting the appam(what I have learnt)

•      In kerala(warm tropical climate),I used to grind the appam by 4 in the evening,keep it outside and it used to rise by 8 in the night.I used to keep the batter in the fridge after rising and make appams the next morning for breakfast.
•      In Seattle (cold climate),keep it overnight. I grind the batter by 8.30 in the night and keep it on the countertop to rise. It doubles itself by 5.30 the next morning. If you are  not making the appams immediately,  keep the risen batter in the fridge until its time to make the appams. I make it by 7 in the morning.
• During the summer in Seattle , I keep it outside for 2 hours and then in the fridge , overnight. It will continue the fermentation process in the fridge.

Making appams(almost there !!!)

• Place the appam chatti on the stove and put two three drops of water in it .Turn on the stove to medium high. When the droplets disappear the chatti is hot enough to pour the batter. Take a ladle that's convenient for you. This,  here is the ladle that I use for my appam and dosa batter.  I can't do without it. It takes about 1and 1/4 ladleful of the batter to make an appam.

• Pour the batter in appam chatti .Rotate the chatti,  ,holding it with both your hands, to form lace on the sides.Rotate it only once.Keep it back on the stove ,turn the stove on high for 30secs,then turn to medium for 40 secs and then again to high for another 30 secs.

                                      

• Now the appam is ready , take it  off from the chatti , using a spatula.
• Always remember that the chatti should not be too hot when the next appam batter is poured in.
• I take the chatti off the stove and keep it on a  mat next to stove when pouring the next set of batter. You don't have to do this when you pour the batter for the first time. This is my make-shift arrangement.
  
  
  

         

NOTES

• The appam batter can be made with raw rice , idily rice also. All are tasty , but the softest of all appams are the ones made with basmati rice.
• Batter made with idily rice takes a little longer to cook.
• If cooked rice is not readily available substitute 1/4 cup avval ,soaked in 1/4 cup water ,instead of that.
• Our breakfast combination is appam and naadan motta curry.
• Other combinations are sweetened coconut milk,(my MIL's favourite),just with sugar(my mom's favourite),stews, and chutney(this is a Trivandrum special),Motta roast, Kadala curry. These are a few of my taste combinations.
• The appams comes out even more better ,when the batter is  kept in the fridge.( I don't understand the logic  though!!!).So if you have guests coming over ,the batter can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for upto 2 days.
• I use active dry yeast.
• If the batter is a little thick ,dilute it with 1 tbsp. of water at a time until you get the desired consistency. You will get to it after making the first appam. The first appam is always a test.
• The remaining appams can be refrigerated. Steam it before serving. Do not microwave.
• Makes 18  appams.
• Even if yeast is not available , with the sugar and coconut milk and rice , the batter will ferment slightly and appams can be made as is . The appams are tasty but won't be as soft as the ones when made with yeast.
• Any type of cooked rice can be used but using the red matta cooked rice gives a more reddish hue to the appams.
• Don't use too much cooked rice , because the batter becomes very stick and making appams is a pain.

• Appam with rice powder 

     (1) Substitute 1 cup rice powder(appam /idiyappam podi readily available in the                stores)instead of soaked rice , and 1 cup grated coconut
     (2) Use 1 and 1/2 cup of lukewarm water. Rest of the ingredients are the same.