Kallappam

Ingredients

• - toddy rice cake
• - Coconut oil for cooking
• - 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
• - Salt to taste
• - Accompaniments as required

Method

1. Prepare batter: Wash 2 cups raw rice. Soak overnight. Drain and grind to a smooth batter. Add half tsp salt and ferment overnight.
2. Add toddy or yeast: For authentic flavour add 2 tbsp toddy (palm wine). Or dissolve a tiny pinch of yeast in warm water and add. Rest 2 hours.
3. Check batter: Should be slightly sour, bubbly and thin — thinner than dosa batter.
4. Heat appam pan: Heat a small flat-bottomed appam pan on medium heat. Oil lightly.
5. Pour batter: Pour a ladleful of thin batter. Unlike regular appam this is not swirled — it spreads flat.
6. Cover: Cover with a lid.
7. Cook on medium heat: Cook for 3-4 minutes until the surface looks dry and set.
8. Flip: Turn and cook the second side 1-2 minutes.
9. Check: Kallappam should be slightly spongy with a pale golden surface.
10. Serve: Kallappam is a simple fermented rice pancake from Kerala. Serve with fish curry, egg curry or coconut chutney.