Palappam

 

Palappam and kadala (black chana masala)curry

                                                Palappam being cooked in a traditional iron wok

 

Appam is the famous Kerala rice pancake. It is soft and fluffy in the middle and laced and crispy in the edges. Toddy was used to ferment the batter in olden days. When it is noticed that coconut yield is low from certain trees, father will let it out to toddy tappers so that there will be a good yield next year.  The toddy tapper will collect toddy from the inflorescence morning and evening. This sweet toddy is used to ferment appam in olden days. It is made in traditional iron wok, It will be served either with kadalakkari or potato stew, or sweetened coconut milk..And those were the finest breakfast I ever had!.

Nowadays pure,sweet  unadultered toddy is  difficult to get. So set in for yeast readily available in stores.

 

1. Good quality raw rice- 1cup (150 grams)

Cooked or steamed rice-1/4 cup

Grated coconut-1/2 cup

Water 1 cup

Yeast-1/2 tsp (if it is instant dry yest)

Or make a syrup with yeast granules

2 .yeast granules-1 tsp

Warm water-2 tbl spoon

Sugar -1/4 tsp.

Add sugar to warmwater, dissolve.add yeast granules. Shake a little, keep covered till it is frothy (20 minutes)

3...sugar-1tbl spoon,

Salt ¾ tsp

Coconut milk thick-1/2 cup

Wash,soak rice for 5 hours.Grind the raw rice ,cooked rice ,coconut and yeast with enough water.(1)If yeast granules are using,add yeast mixture after grinding. Cover and keep for 5 hours. Add sugar ,salt and mix  well. Adjust thickness with thick coconut milk. The batter should be of pouring consistency. Keep aside for 30 minutes. Make appams.in a non stick appachatty,or any deep non stick wok.

Making appam

Pour 1 big ladle full of the batter into a deep non-stick pan. Slowly rotate the batter on the pan so that a thin coat forms on the side and the middle remains thick.

cover and cook for 1 minute. The middle part will be fluffy. The sides should be crisp.

Repeat for the remaining batter.Makes eight appams.

serve hot with  Masala curry, or sweetened coconut milk/milk

Olan-Microwave mode.

Olan

This is an important side dish in sadhya during onam, vishu as well as in vegetarian feasts during marriages.

1. White pumpkin (ash gourd )-150 gram

Green pumpkin-100grm

Carrot-1

Arbi (colocasia roots)or potato-1(peel, and wash)

Green chilli-3

Water-1/2 cup

2. Grated coconut-1 cup

Warm water-1 ½ cup

3. Thick coconut milk1/2 cup

Thin coconut milk-1 cup

4. salt-3/4 tsp

Coconut oilt-1 tsp

Curry leaves-2.

Wash, remove skin. and 

remove seed from  pumpkin. Cut into thin slices of 1 ½ inch squares. Slit carrot in to two. Cut in to half moon shaped slices. Peel, and wash arbi/potato. Cut potato also in the same shape.

Grind coconut with warm water, strain, take the thick coconut milk, and keep aside. Repeat .take thin milk (1 cup) keep aside.

In a deep microwave safe bowl, take all the vegetables and water.Microwave covered for 7 minutes.

Add the thin coconut milk and salt.mix well. Microwave covered for 3 minutes.

Stir well, microwave uncovered for 2 minutes.

Now add thick coconut milk, curry leaves and microwave uncovered for 30 seconds.

Add coconut oil (raw) over it. Serve along with rice or roti.