HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO TRY APPAMS but did not have a blender? Don’t panic. You will make your mum smile on this Mother’s Day with this easy no blending Appam recipe and you do not need to be a chef to prepare these. Your mum can enjoy them plain with a cup of tea or coffee or pair them with chutney, chicken roce curry, chicken indad curry, pork masala or pork indad. Any of these combinations are sure to please any mum on her special day.
Here’s a recipe that dear Aunty Treesa shared with me many years ago but as Mother’s Day is tomorrow, I thought I will write this recipe so my son and husband can make breakfast in bed for me! Here it is! Thanks to Aunty T who will live in my heart forever. Aunty T passed away in 2016 but she lives in me through this recipe and through many happy moments we spent chatting on the phone.
Aunty T comes from the same hometown in India as me. Besides, Aunty T also knew my mum well and that makes it so special for me. She moved to Sydney in the 1980s to spend time with her children and grandchildren. It was during this time we developed a friendship and in fact, Aunty T was like a mother to me so far away from home. She gave me lots of love in the absence of my mum, guidance, shared her experiences in life and I became very fond of her and enjoyed our telephone chats. She lived in the Eastern suburbs and I lived in a North Western suburb. Although we could not meet each other often, we met on occasions when we were invited for dinner parties as Aunty T had a big family in Australia and some of her daughters lived in Sydney. I used to look forward to chatting with Aunty T as she was intelligent, with enthusiasm and passion for cooking and life in general. I was into cooking very early in life and she shared this passion with me, and we shared lots of laughter along the way.
I was lucky enough to have the bond I had with Aunty Treesa and the happiness we shared will remain with me forever. She left me beautiful memories, I loved her dearly then and I love her dearly now.
These appams are a near enough version of the traditional style Mangalore appams and can be done without the use of the blender. This recipe is perfect for those working couples who do not have the time to soak and blend the rice. They turn out well and taste great. Hope you enjoy them. Let me know if you have any questions through the contact tab or leave any comments at the bottom of the recipe.
Aunty Treesa’s Appams
Ingredients
- 1 level tsp. yeast
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 225 g self-raising flour
- 115 g rice flour
- 1 tsp. salt or to taste
- 300 mL water
- 300 mL tinned coconut milk
- 1 egg lightly whisked
- Appam pan
- Oil for frying appams
Instructions
- Mix yeast and sugar with ½ cup of tepid water. Stir well to combine and stand for 30 minutes or until frothy.
- In a deep saucepan, mix self-raising flour, rice flour and salt. Add water gradually and make a batter ensuring there are no lumps.
- Add coconut milk gradually and make a thin batter. Add the whisked egg, yeast solution and season to taste with salt and sugar if required. Stir till well combined. Cover with a muslin cloth and tie a string around cloth. Leave to ferment in a warm place. My batter took 3 hours to rise in autumn. The batter gets frothy and rises about 4cm to 6cm high. It could rise much more in very hot weather conditions and take lesser time to ferment. It all depends on the weather. The hotter the climate, the quicker the fermentation.
- To fry the appams, heat the appam pan on medium for about 3 minutes or until medium hot. Using your pastry brush or silicon brush, apply a thin layer of coconut oil or olive oil to the base and the sides of the pan. Add about 100mL-125mL of the fermented batter in the centre of the pan. Let the batter set for a few seconds. Wear fabric gloves on both hands, rotate the pan clockwise until the batter has spread around and you see lacy edges. Reduce to low heat. The appam should now look like a pancake with lacy edges. Cover and cook for 1 minute to 1½ minute or until the centre is cooked and the lacy edges are a light golden colour. Reduce fire to the lowest setting if you find that the edges are catching or burning. Use a non-stick spatula to gently go around the lacy edge and lift off gently. Place on a straw cooler (kurpano) to cool completely. Fry the rest in the same way until all batter is finished.
- Best eaten immediately on their own or with coconut chutney for breakfast or with chicken roce curry, chicken indad or pork indad for lunch or dinner.
- Refrigerate any leftover fermented batter for a day or two. Allow the batter to come to room temperature and stir the batter well before frying.
Hi, I’m Catherine!
I’m all about creating tasty Indian dishes with whatever’s on hand, even when I’m short on time or budget. I love turning simple ingredients into flavorful delights. Join me on this culinary adventure where we’ll explore the magic of Indian cuisine, one delicious dish at a time!
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