Appam & Potato Stew

A common household name for breakfast in Kerala…. This particular combo or rather a deadly combo holds a prominent place in Kerala cuisine especially in Christian households…of course the side dish of potato stew is often substituted with Chicken/Mutton stew for non-veggies…. A breakfast dish often tagged as “Kerala pancake” is cherished by kids and adults alike mainly coz of its mouthwatering aroma… and the fact that it is neither too hot nor spicy makes it all the more demanding….

Talking about appams in fact reminds me of my childhood era with my Grandma busily making appams in an Appa chatti (an Iron-based chatti used only to make appams) and the wonderful n spicy Egg roast served along with it. Well, to be honest, I used to have appams only for those laced edges, which used to taste just superb… Appams then were usually made with Kallu (Toddy) which was the genuine secret behind the softness and tastiness of those appams. Now that u hardly get pure and unadulterated kallu, I guess u’d have to settle for the very next and best substitute, Yeast which is readily available in all super markets…

Gone are the days when my mother used to try and try and just try to make those appams her mom used to make… But sadly enough, she never used to get the procedure and the combinations right…she never gave up trying though... I always used to wonder if I wud ever get to have appams made by my mom… As a last resort, we even tried the Readymade/Instant Palappam Podi mixes…. but the results were quite disappointing as we made appams alright but they didn’t infact taste like one… :)

Then as the quote, “Failure is the stepping stone to success” rightly goes, at last the success came in the form of my Mother-in-law (a very special thx to her) who gave me this instant and easy recipe for making appams. And now believe it or not, we have turned out to be quite an expert in appam making as well as appam consumption….

So for all those who r wondering about my long story, this is to illustrate to those of you who are still experimenting with various appam recipes and are contemplating on using Instant mixes as the last choice, please do not look further….this recipe is for you… Do give it a try once and see how it goes…. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

So here is the recipe for you….

You’d require
2 measure(glass) Raw rice (Pachari)
A handful of cooked rice for each measure(glass)
1 tsp of yeast
Sugar – As required. I add around 2 – 3 tbsp but you can add more if you want it to be a bit more sweeter…
Salt – As required
Gingelly oil – As required

Now for those who are sensitive/allergic to yeast, you can use preserved coconut water/juice while grinding and reduce the quantity of yeast to a pinch… I know this coconut water is something that is usually discarded by many. But if you preserve it in a bottle and refrigerate it, you can use it as a fermenting agent while making appams.

Method:-
1)Soak the rice in water for around 2 hours (preferably evenings).
2)Grind it along with cooked rice and the coconut water to a smooth batter. You can also add sufficient water too to get the batter consistency.
3)Transfer the contents to a wide mouthed vessel.
4)Add in yeast and 2 tbsp of sugar. After adding yeast and sugar, do not mix the contents with a spoon or ladle. Take the vessel in your hands and rotate it a bit in circular motions so that the yeast slowly submerges in the batter.
5)Close it with a tight lid and leave it to fermentation overnight.
6)Next day early morning, you’d see that it’s fermented. Add salt and mix the batter well.
7)To make appams, heat a non-stick appachatti.
8)Pour a ladle of batter into the pan and rotate it till you get the edges thin.
9)Pour a little oil in the sides of the appam.
10)Close the pan and cook till done.
11)Serve hot with any spiced side dish of your choice.

Now if you want a side dish for those yummy appams and you want to make something in a jiffy, then the best one is to settle on a Potato Stew, which is often the favorite. One more reason being that the ingredients are the ones that are always found in your pantry…so, you do not have to call the grocery stores for the missing ones…. :)


So here’s how the recipe for Potato Stew goes….

You’d require
3 – 4 medium sized Potatoes
1 large Onion
1-inch thick piece of Ginger
Required nos of Green chilies according to your liking
Salt – As required
A few Curry leaves
1 cup of thick Coconut milk

Method:-
1)Pressure cook the potatoes. When cool, open the cooker and peel the skin off the potatoes.
2)Cut the potatoes into small cubes. Do not mash it.
3)Place the diced potatoes, thinly sliced onion, thinly sliced ginger, curry leaves and green chillies along with sufficient water in a vessel.
4)Add salt and stir. Allow it to cook.

5)When all the water has nearly evaporated, lower the flame.
6)Add the coconut milk and stir well. Do not boil. Just heat it through.
7)Check the level of salt and add as required.
8)Remove from flame and serve hot/warm with hot appams.

Though I crave for spicy food, this is one non-spiced dish, which I often make if in a hurry... You can also make your own variations by adding a few whole spices along with the veggies for that spicy aroma. After all, variety itself is the real spice of life….and you can definitely try all the possible variations to spice up your life too.

So, on that spicy note, happy cooking!!!