Aappam- Hoppers

Aappam (Hoppers) aka Aappum is a common food in Tamil nadu, Kerala & even in Srilankan cuisine.

It's often eaten as breakfast
Aappam is a delicacy made out of fermented rice batter. "kallu" (Toddy) is used to ferment the batter.

To make one understand I would like to relate Aappam as "Dosa's" cousin. Ofcourse the cooking techinque & the shape is different. Unlike Dosa it's not crispy but have a spongy center & crispy endges.It is made in a special pan / kadai known as "Aappa chatti". It takes the shape of this pan in which they are cooked in.

Aappam

Raw rice - 2 cups

Salt

Sugar - 10 gms

Water - To grind

Yeast (Substitute for Toddy)(optional) - 5 gms

Coconut milk - 50 ml

Wash & soak the rice over night. Grind it by adding some water. Add salt, sugar, yeast & leave it in room temperature for around 4-5 hours. If desired add coconut milk & mix well.

Heat the "Aappa chatti" & drizzle with some oil. Make sure the pan is hot & cleaned & "seasoned".

Rub oil evenly in the pan by using a clean / soft cloth.

Pour a laddle of the batter & rotate the pan in a circular motion . Place the pan on the stove &

cover it with the lid. Leave couple of minutes & check by using a wet tooth pick in the center of the Aappam. If the tooth pick comes out clean then consider it as cooked. If not leave it for couple of minutes more.

Use a thin spatula around the corner of the Aappam & slowly lift it out. By regular practice it will be easy & fun making Aappams.

Chef's tip :

Traditionally Aappams are made in cast iron pan. Recent years have been witnessing non-stick pans just to make the cooking more enjoyable & easy.
The word "seasoned" means : Cleaning & getting the pan ready. The best way to do it is by heating the pan, rubbing some oil saute some onions or break an egg in to the pan & quickly stir it off. Wipe it off with a clean cloth & again spread some oil evenly.
Variations can be made like Masala Egg Aappam, Chicken Kheema, Lamb Kheema, Fried Egg Aappam

It is a nice dish for the dinner menu aswell because it is very light & not on the heavier side.
Vegetable kuruma, Ishtew, Kadalai curry (Channa) or a meat gravy can be a good accompaniment. Freshly extracted "thengaai paal" (Coconut Milk) will also be an ideal accompaniment.