Appam with Mutta Roast / Lacy Pancakes with Egg Roast

Appam or Vellayappam or Palappam as it is called is a famous breakfast item of Kerala. This is usually had with Chicken Ishtu (stu) or Nadan Chicken Varutharacha Curry or with egg roast. It is a must try combination. The lacy appam and the masala egg roast is something everyone who comes to visit Kerala are on the look out for. 

APPAM

INGREDIENTS

Serves 6

Short grain rice - 4 cups * see note 1

Coconut - 1 medium size

Cooked Boiled Rice - 1 1/2 cup

Dry active Yeast- 2 tsp

Sugar - 4 tsp* see note 2

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Water - 3 cups + more to make thin batter* see note 3

Gingelly oil - to smear on the appa chatti (cast iron kadai)* see note 4

Cast iron appam chatti/wok

METHOD

• Soak rice for 1 hour and strain.
• Grate the coconut. In a grinder, grind the coconut and cooked rice together for 15 minutes.
• Add the rice to the ground mixture. Grind till very fine.
• When the batter is almost done add the yeast and sugar. Grind for another minute.
• Let it ferment for 4 hours or till the batter has risen and turns frothy.* see note 5
• Heat the cast iron appam chatti or wok on high flame. Smear it with little oil.
• Lower the flame. Pour a laddle (almost 1/2 cup) of batter into the wok. Tilt the wok all around so that the batter coats in a round shape and the rest of the batter settles in the center.
• Cook on high flame for 5 seconds and then lower the flame. Cover and cook till the rim turns golden and starts leaving the sided. Gently lift the appam and place it on a plate.

EGG ROAST

INGREDIENTS
Eggs - 5 hard boiled and shelled

Onion - 3 1/2 cup thinly sliced, tightly packed
Garlic- 6 cloves thinly sliced
Ginger - 1 " piece finely chopped
Tomatoes - 2 medium size
Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs
Coconut Oil - 3 tbsp

Coriander Powder - 1 1/2 tbsp
Chilly Powder - 3/4 tsp
Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Salt - as required

METHOD

• Heat oil in a cast iron skillet. Add onions and saute till slightly browned. * see note 7,8
• Tip in the garlic and ginger. Continue to saute in medium flame.
• Thinly slice the tomatoes and add them along with curry leaves to the onion mixture. Saute till the tomatoes are half cooked.
• In a bowl mix all the dry ingredients along with some water to make a paste. 
• Add the masala paste to the onion mixture. Saute for 1 minute. Reduce flame to low.
• Meanwhile cut the eggs into half. Separate the egg whites from the yolk. * see note 9
• Add the egg whites to the masala and coat the eggs with the masala.
• Continue to cook for another 1 minute on low.
• Serve it with appams or rotis.

Cooking tips:

1. You can use raw rice. I used short grain rice(ghee rice/neychottari).
2. Before making appam you can add more sugar if you like the appams to be a bit sweet.
3. The batter has to be in a runny consistency.
4. Any oil can be used but gingelly oil is the best for cast iron woks. If you are using a non stick appam maker then there is no need to smear oil.
5. The time taken for the batter to rise and turn frothy will depend on the climate. In warm weather it will ferment faster. Keep the batter in a warm place.
6. Cast iron appam chatti or wok is the best to get the right texture of the appam. It has a round deep bottom which helps in getting the nice lace. 
7. Saute the onions on high flame. Keep stirring.
8. You can reduce the oil used to 2 tbsp if you are using a non stick pan.
9. Usually the eggs are halved and served but in my house we avoid the egg yolk for health reasons.
10. Keep stirring so that the mixture does not stick to the bottom.

Sending this post to the Kerala Kitchen Event hosted by The Cooking Doctor