Vellappam

Vellappam is our most favorite kerala breakfast dish. Vellappam is bowl-shaped thin pancakes made from fermented rice flour. They derive their shape from the small Appachatti in which they are cooked.


What you need for Vellappam:

• Raw rice - 2 cup
• Fresh grated coconut- 1 cup
• Cooked rice - 1/4 cup
• Yeast -1/2 tbsp
• Sugar - 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste

The preparation method:

• Soak raw rice in water for 4 to 5 hours.
• In a grinder/ mixie, grind soaked raw rice, grated coconut and cooked rice, little at a time to a smooth paste with water. The batter should not be too watery nor too thick.
• If you want it more soft, you can made a kurukku/thari/thick paste with 4 tbsp of the grounded rice and 1 cup of water.Stir well on a medium flame. When it is semi thick, switch off the gas. Allow it to cool. Mix this mixture in batter.
• Pour the batter into a utensil. Since the batter will ferment and rise in volume, use a big enough utensil.
• In a small bowl, take 1/4 cup lukewarm water. Add sugar, stir and dissolve it. Add yeast to this solution. Pour this yeast solution to the batter and stir well.
• Rest the batter in a warm place to ferment and rise in volume. (You can make the batter in the evening and rest it overnight to ferment.) Add salt to the batter and stir.
• Heat a non- stick pan or a appachatti to make vellappam. Pour one ladle of batter to the pan, lift the pan from stove and slightly twist around to spread the batter in the pan to make a circular shape. Close with a lid and cook on low heat.
• Take the cooked appam from the pan and serve hot with stew or kadala curry.