Appam also called as hoppers is made using raw rice, coconut, sugar, coconut milk and salt. Batter made using raw rice is fermented and made into spongy appam. Sometimes yeast, cooked rice or cooking soda is added for fermentation.
How to Make Easy Homemade Appam Recipe
I promised you to post a simple appam recipe, and here i am with it. This doesn't need much work at all, soaking, grinding and fermenting. That's it. And also it need only minimum ingredients. Great for people who go to work. You can check out my other appam recipes like coconut milk appam recipe.
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About Appam (Hoppers)
Appam Tamil: ஆப்பம் is a type of pancake, originating from South India, made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk, common in Kerala, India. It is eaten most frequently for breakfast or dinner. It is usually made using raw rice, coconut milk, coconut, yeast, sugar and cooked rice.
The appam batter is poured in a special chatti and cooked covered till soft and spongy. Appam is usually served with curries, chicken or mutton stew, veg curries, veg kurmas or even sweetened coconut milk.
Side dishes For Appam
Ingredients
Raw Rice | Pacharisi - Raw rice is added in the making of appam because it helps with the texture of appam. Regular rice won't give the proper texture to the appam. Raw rice is soaked for few hours and ground till smooth.
Urad dal - Urad dal helps in fermentation of the batter and makes it soft.
Sugar - Sugar is added in appam batter which helps in the fermentation of the batter. It adds sweetness to the appam batter which makes it more tasty.
Cooked Rice - Cooked rice helps with the fermentation and make the appam soft.
How to Make Appam Batter
Soaking
Take raw rice, urad dal in a bowl and wash well. Soak in water for 4 hours.
Grinding Batter
Strain the rice and urad dal and take it in a blender. Add in cooked rice and blend till smooth. Once the batter is ground. Take it in a bowl.
Now take the blender jar, add 1 cup of water to it. Swirl and clean the blender really well. Take the mix in the sauce pan. Cook on high heat and keep mixing till it thickens well. Set aside to cool completely.
Fermentation
Once the mix is cooled. Add it in to the batter. Add salt and mix well. Cover and leave to ferment for 24 hours. Once the batter is fermented. It will look foamy and bubbly.
Cooking Appam
Heat appam pan, pour a ladleful of batter and swirl. Cover and cook till the bottom is crispy. Remove and serve.
How to Make Soft Appam (Stepwise Pictures)
Soaking Rice & Urad Dal
1)Start by measuring raw rice and urad dal. Raw rice is also known as pacharisi. This version of my fool proof soft appam recipe calls for urad dal.
2)Take both urad dal and raw rice in a large mixing bowl. Wash this multiple times to remove any dirt from the rice and dal.
3)Cover the rice and dal with cold water and let it soak for 4 to 5 hours. By this time the rice and dal will be soaked.
Grinding Appam Batter
4)That is my amma making the appam batter and BTW this is her recipe. It is tried and tested by thousands of my viewers from youtube.
Strain the rice and dal from the bowl and add it to a blender. You can grind the appam batter in a blender, no need for wet grinder.
5)Once the rice and dal is added, you have to add a handful of cooked rice. Leftover rice can be used in this appam.
6)Now grind the batter using very little water till it is fine and smooth in texture. Depending upon your blender power, it won't take more than 2 to 3 minutes for grinding.
7)Pour the batter into a bowl which has a lid. I did this in batches. So once the first batch is ready you can grind the next batch.
Fermenting Batter
8)Now take the blender jar, add 1 cup of water to it. Swirl and clean the blender really well. Take the mix in the sauce pan. We are going to cook some of the rice batter to create a paste like texture which we call as "kappi". This helps will the fermentation and makes the appam softer.
9)Cook on high heat and keep mixing till it thickens well. Set aside to cool completely.
10)Once the cooked rice batter is cooled, add it into the ground rice and dal batter.
11)Add salt to taste. You can use fine salt or rock salt.
12)Whisk really well till smooth.
13)Allow this to ferment overnight. The batter till ferment in 12 to 15 hours.
14)This is how fermented batter will look like. So light, foamy and frothy.
Cooking Appam
15)For making appam, always remove the required amount of batter in a separate bowl. This way you don't mix sugar to the whole batter.
16)Add sugar to the batter and mix well. Sugar helps with the browning and crispy texture of appam. Also it increases taste.
17)Mix well. In this recipe you don't need baking soda (cooking soda). But if you find the appam is not soft enough, you can add a pinch.
18)Heat appam chatti. I prefer using nonstick appam chatti. Pour ladleful of batter in the centre.
19)Swirl the pan to coat the appam chatti.
20)Cover and cook on medium high heat till appam gets crispy.
21)Appam should be crispy and golden on the edges and soft fluffy in the centre.
22)You can serve appam with any side dish as you prefer.
Top Tip: If you have any leftover appam batter, store in fridge. The next day appam batter might not be looking as frothy as fresh ones. You have to keep at room temperature for minimum 2 hours to make it frothy again. Else you can add a pinch of baking soda while cooking appam to make it soft appam.
Expert Tips
- Grind the batter to a fine paste. This result in soft appam.
- Don't add to much baking soda. If you add, it wont give white appam.
- The batter should be very thin, this will give soft appam.
- You can use appam chatti or a dosa tawa for making appam.
- Yeast can be added very little when fermenting the batter. If you are adding yeast just add a pinch of it and also ferment it overnight.
- Raw rice has to be used for better texture.
- You can add coconut water when grinding the batter.
- Extra addition of coconut milk can be used for better texture and taste.
FAQ
1)Why My Appam Batter is not Fermenting?
If the batter is too thick then there might be trouble fermenting. Adding of little yeast will help in fermentation. Freshly grated coconut, coconut water may help too.
2)What can be served with Appam?
Appams are served with vegetable stew, kadala curry (chickpea curry), potato stew, vegetable korma, coconut chutney or coconut milk sweetened with jaggery. To make my favorite sweet coconut milk for pairing with palappam, the coconut milk is sweetened with jaggery and flavored with cardamom powder.
3) How many calories are there in 2 appam?
One Appam contains 120 calories
4)Why is my appam not soft?
Adding little cooked rice when grinding appam batter will make it softer. Grated coconut can be added for making it soft.
5)Can we make appam without yeast?
You can easily make appam without yeast. I have shared all these recipes of making of appam without yeast. Coconut or baking soda is added instead of yeast.
6)How to make soft appam without yeast?
Removing some of the appam batter and cooking it till it gets transparent and paste like. This can be mixed into the remaining batter and then the whole batter is left to ferment. This batter results in softer appam.
Appam Side Dishes | What to Serve with
This appam turned out so soft and delicious. I served this with kadala curry and it was delicious. Checkout my kadala curry recipe. For other side dishes you can check the best recipes of side dishes with appam.
You can serve this with Egg Korma or Egg Pulusu or any spicy gravy. But the best combo is with Amma's Varutharacha Urulai Kilangu Korma.
📖 Recipe Card
Soft & Crispy Appam Recipe | Recipe for Kerala Style Appam Batter
Equipment
- Blender
- Appam Pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups Raw Rice
- ¼ cup Whole White Urad dal
- 2 tablespoon Sugar
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- 2 handful Cooked Rice (around ½ cup)
Instructions
- Take raw rice, urad dal in a bowl and wash well. Soak in water for 4 hours.
- Strain the rice and urad dal and take it in a blender. Add in cooked rice and blend till smooth. Once the batter is ground. Take it in a bowl.
- Now take the blender jar, add 1 cup of water to it. Swirl and clean the blender really well. Take the mix in the sauce pan. Cook on high heat and keep mixing till it thickens well. Set aside to cool completely.
- Once the mix is cooled. Add it in to the batter. Add salt and mix well. Cover and leave to ferment for 24 hours.
- Once the batter is fermented. It will look foamy and bubbly. Add sugar and salt and mix well.
- Heat appam pan, pour a ladleful of batter and swirl. Cover and cook till the bottom is crispy. Remove and serve.
- Top Tip: If you have any leftover appam batter, store in fridge. The next day appam batter might not be looking as frothy as fresh ones. You have to keep at room temperature for minimum 2 hours to make it frothy again. Else you can add a pinch of baking soda while cooking appam to make it soft appam.
Video
Notes
- Grind the batter to a fine paste. This result in soft appam.
- Don't add to much baking soda. If you add, it wont give white appam.
- The batter should be very thin, this will give soft appam.
- You can use appam chatti or a dosa tawa for making appam.
- Yeast can be added very little when fermenting the batter. If you are adding yeast just add a pinch of it and also ferment it overnight.
- Raw rice has to be used for better texture.
- You can add coconut water when grinding the batter.
- Extra addition of coconut milk can be used for better texture and taste.
Nutrition
If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @aarthi198689@gmail.com and I'll help as soon as I can.
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Sensible Vegetarian
I love appam with thengai pal and this looks awesome. Happy to follow you too.
Deepa
For the appam with urad dal is the fermenting time 24 hours?
Aarthi
yes
Sushma Mallya
Looks so delicious ...and u have explained it so well!
Kristy Lynn
Beautiful! I'm not sure what appam is, but it sure looks good. My partner is from England and he's always complaining that there aren't any good Indian places in town. Maybe I ought to give this a shot?
Thanks for sharing (and for stopping by my corner of the blogosphere!)
Kristy
Christy Gerald
Super Good.Neatly exhibited and done Aapam Dear.Luv it.
Tina
You have some pretty amazing equipment there. Just the idea of grinding the rice and the coconut together sounds like it would be a great method to impart the flavor through out. It is kind of like a savory crepe, which tells me that there are lots of fabulous uses for it. Sounds delicious. Have a great day.
Junia
wow i love this is yeast free! this looks delicious. i love rice based anything! thanks for the awesome step by step pictures 😀
Priya
Appam,been ages i had them, looks fabulous..
faseela
wow...this is amazing..without yeast you get it done well....
Thanx dear
Sobha Shyam
lovely appams, i usually use yeast instead of soda..nice recipe..
Gloria
Look delicious!! gloria
sangee vijay
this version is unique and the appam come out perfectly...bookmarked to try...thanx for sharing!!
CaySera
Hi Aarthi...thanks for visiting my space
Appams look soo yummy...my favourite actually...must try your version....happy to be following you!
Sook
What a great looking recipe! Yum!
Uma
Very very very nice aarthi. Thanks for posting such an authentic and useful post.
Amina Khaleel
simple and easy.. delicious..
Nandini
Wow...nice appam...came out very well...
RAKS KITCHEN
Superb idea arthi to make soft aapams 🙂 Loved this 🙂
Suma Gandlur
Appam looks very inviting!
Prathibha
very yummy dosas..I love them
Ramya
That looks great!! and great pictorial
Vani
Wow, Appam looks really great! Thanks for sharing such a nice recipe 🙂
Richa
love your step by step pictures! bookmarked this to make soonn.. your appams look fabulous!
Mélange
I believe appam making is an art.It should be taken very seriously.Isn't it ? Yours have come out superb.I do in a different way.Addition of baking soda is new to me.will try Aarthi.Thanks for the recipe.Thanks your Amma.
The Pumpkin Farm
Lovely step by step presentation, will surely try and let u know, i did one version of it following Valli's recipe which was equally good.
Your recipe is different so will also try this one.
Did you coat the pan with oil before dropping the batter?
Aarthi
The Pumpkin Farm..Thanks for ur comment..Yes i coated the pan with oil...
Anisha
Glad to have chanced upon your blog... there is so much to bookmark here.
The appam looks perfect!
Chandrani
Appam looks so crispy and awesome....
Tina
My hub's all time fav food...Looks perfect.
?
Thanks for sharing this step-by-step recipe; my friends use this recipe. We never grind coconut alongwith rice; this looks easy- bookmarked.
Hyma
hi arthi...thanks for visiting my space and joining me. this is a very diff way to do appam. cooking the batter and mixing with the rest of the batter! hv to try it...u hv got some real patience to take so many pics:-) glad to follow u too
anthony stemke
Looks wonderful, enjoyed reading this post.
Thank You.
Anonymous
It looks good and tastes very good.i've tried it at my home.thank u very much.
is there any possibility to make burger buns without yeast
Asha
Well explained with photos 🙂
pal payasam
Hey Today i searched for the recipe of Appam for my frnds who enjoy my southindian lunch and they were demanding the recipe & coincidentally ur blog got opened i was surprised when i gone trough it and the pics. Ur method was same as my mom. and later when i got time i gone through different recipes and i found it very interesting thanks a lot i will try all ur recipes at home.
Radhika
thx a lot aarthi for this recipe.. i tried this recipe, appam came out really well..this is the 2nd time i tried ur recipe.. first time batter was a bit watery,but still appam was good..this time, everything perfect..my family loved it.. 🙂
Anonymous
This recipe worked like a Charm and I enjoyed delicious Appams. Thanks Aarthi for this wonderful Aapam Recipe
DEEPTHI
aappam is my favourite recipe....
its looks delicious............
if we skip baking soda could we get crisp aappam like this??????
Aarthi
@DEEPTHIBaking soda makes it so soft. But you could leave it too..
Pattu Raj
Thanks. Sounds easy , for beginners. I will try it out.
Enjoyed reading your blog and the wonderful presentation.
Karthika
Hi arthi,
Can i use idly rice for appam ?
Aarthi
@Karthika i think idly rice wont work. I haven't tried it yet
Rumana Ambrin
Super nice and yummy..
durga kalyan
wow. looks yummy.i was waiting for this recipe.thanks for posting.
Liz
love your blog .. love indian cooking.
for the Appam, can i use rice flour instead of raw rice ?
Aarthi
@LizNNo rice flour wont work in this recipe.
Anonymous
Hello Aarthi,
Very nice recipe. I wanted to know whether after adding the baking soda we can store the remaining batter in the fridge or use all the batter immediately?
Aarthi
@AnonymousYou can store it for 2 days in fridge after adding baking soda.
Thulasi
Hi aarthi, why do you cook few tbsp of batter and add it back. I make aapams but never knew this step. What is the purpose of doing so
Aarthi
@ThulasiMy mom always makes it like this. It makes the appam super soft and tasty..
Anonymous
Can u pls say whether u have used raw rice flour or roasted one
Aarthi
@Anonymousit is roasted rice flour
shamna
can i use sona masoori rice for appam?
Aarthi
@shamnaYES U CAN USE
Nandini
Hi Arthi I tried lemon drizzle. It is really yummy.
Anonymous
Do we have to refrigerate the first thick coconut milk extract or keep it as such. ?
rekha
Thanks aarthi going thru u r blog and loved so many of ur recipes. Keep it going
Aarthi
@Anonymousrefrigerate it..
preethi
Aarthi. Am in USA. To ferment what should i do. We live in a very cold place in minus temperature daily. So what to do to ferment.
Aarthi
@preethiIf u have a oven, you can turn the light on of the oven and put this in it. Make sure you dont turn on the oven, just light on. Or u can place it near heater if u have any,
Anonymous
Aarthi, thanks for sharing. I would like to try your recipes. Can I use coconut milk instead of fresh coconut? Thanks.
Aarthi
@AnonymousYes u can use.
Anonymous
thanks for this good recipe. can I use apple cider vinegar instead of baking soda?
Aarthi
@Anonymousno it wont work.
preethi
Thanks arthi for your immediate reply.ya we have oven and heater. Will try it out this weekend.
Anonymous
HELOO.......... THANKS FOR THE RECEIPE. I HAVE A POWDER PRINTED BAKING SODA POWDER ON IT. IS IT THE SAME SODA POWDER?
Aarthi
@Anonymousyes it is same as soda powder
Ratnam pg
Can v use yeast instead of baking soda?
Aarthi
@Ratnam pgthis recipe calls only for baking soda. i think u can use yeast as well
Anonymous
Wonderful n thanks
Anonymous
Wonderful n thanks
ARVA KA JALWA
Hi. U have forgotten to add dry yeast powder. Cos only then it will ferment. ☺
Deenu S
Hi aarthi
U have advised that the batter can be stored for 2 days,.... Can u Pls tell, does adding coconut has the chance of spoiling the batter?
Deenu S
Aarthi
@Deenu SNO IT WONT
Aarthi
@ARVA KA JALWAno u dont need yeast in this, the yeast form the bread will make this ferment
madhavi
Hi aarthi Can I use our regular cooking rice or idli rice we have to use?
Anonymous
Hi can I use Maggie instant coconut milk powder for making coconut milk.?or do I need the real thing. BTW is one coconut enough. ?
Aarthi
@Anonymousreal things helps in fermentation. one coconut is enough
Aarthi
@madhaviregular rice will work too
Nair
I dont hv baking sodA or yeast, am new to this place also.. Is that ok to do wtout those..
Aarthi
@Nairbaking soda makes it soft
prachi
Hi aarthi I tried many of your recipes they are truly awesome! I would like to know what else can we serve with these appams as m not aware of south Indian dishes except idli and dosa
Khadeeja
Can we use the fresh grated coconut instead of coconut milk
Aarthi
@Khadeejano coconut milk has to be used
aarthi dhanraj
Can we skip the baking soda? Any adverse effects?
Aarthi
@aarthi dhanrajbaking soda will make it soft
Rac
add cooked rice half a handful and old dosa batter. It will work without soda.. I have tried it
Anonymous
Can we use ponni boiled rice instead of raw rice.
Will it affect the taste
Aarthi
@Anonymousyes u can use, but raw rice will give you perfect appam
Anonymous
I have heard from my mom doing appam like this....but, in this busy schedule I don't have time ...so, I grind rice, a teaspoon of soaked urad dal, coconut, cooked rice, spoon of fermented idli batter, salt and sugar to make soft and spongy appams that everyone relish in my home ....even amma is amazed by the result....the quality of raw rice do matter...I use sona masoori....try once, it is easy
Chowringhee Karol Bagh
Fantastic and very interesting tasty..Loving it.
Home Delivery Restaurants in Karol Bagh
Dheepa kalyan
Ferment for 24 hours? Can i leave it overnight alone outside and then keep it in fridge? For how many days the batter holds good?
Aarthi
@Dheepa kalyanno appam batter needs little more fermentation. You can store it in fridge for 3 to 5 days
Chowringhee
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I look forward to trying it out...
Restaurant in South Campus
Chowringhee
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I look forward to trying it out...
Restaurant in South Campus
Anonymous
Hi. Thanks for this awesome recipe. Could you please tell the thickness of the bread? In the picture there are 3 slices. And can I use caned coconut milk instead of fresh real Coconut milk? Thanks!
Aarthi
@Anonymousif u break your bread, you should get around 1 cup of broken pieces..
Anonymous
Hi aarthi I do have only idli rice or basmati at house as I live in U.S. . Or should I buy specific rice for this as I love appam . Can u post recepie of kumbakonam kadappa . ? I'm Lavanya I love ur recepies .
U rock!
Aarthi
@Anonymousu can use idli rice too..but raw rice is best..here is kadappa recipe
https://www.yummytummyaarthi.com/2014/06/kumbakonam-kadappa-recipe-kadappa.html
Anonymous
Good evening Aarthi. Thank you for your recipe I live in South Africa and the stores stock rice power. Can I use this and what quantity I need for 1 cup uncooked rice.
Thanks
Aarthi
@Anonymousno rice powder cannot be used. u need rice
Jaba
1cup cooked rice add panninaal innum nalla irukkum.
Divya
Hi Aarthi, thanks for sharing the traditional way of cooking with set by step pictures. 🙂 could you please tell me if I can add Eno instead of Baking soda?
Aarthi
@Divyayes u can add eno
roy
@ThulasiInstead of cooking the batter,you can also grind cooked rice Betty
Unknown
Did u use ponni raw rice or normal raw rice.?
Aarthi
it is normal raw rice
Anonymous
Can we use dry coconut instead of fresh one if yes how does it taste... Will it be same as the fresh coconut?
Aarthi
yes u can use dried ones too
Sindhu Reji
Hi Aarthi, Thanks for this receipe. My daughter often have a problem when i use yeast for my appams. This time i am going to try baking soda. THANK U VERY MUCH.
Riya Allen
Aarthi I wish to use yeast in place of baking soda. If so, half teaspoon of instant yeast will be fine rite? Keep up the good spirit of posting a new recipe every time.
Aarthi
yes it will be fine
Raji Aravind
I too watched that show ,tempted to try this a ppam. Thanx 4 the recipe.
Gayathri D
Hi Aarthi, Thanks for the post, on refrigerating the batter becomes thick and it doesn't taste the way it tasted before. Any suggestions would help.
Aarthi
dont add baking soda to the entire batter. Just take small amount and add the baking soda just before making. If the batter is thick ad more water
Anonymous
n i remove the coconut as am allergic to it
Nandhini
Hi Arthi,
Can use Idli rice instead of raw rice..
Aneesha
When I add baking soda appam turned yellow .Is it harmful or poison can I give to my children
Aarthi
You must have added too much, no issues you can give.
From Germany
Hi I love your receipt. Can I freeze the leftover batter?
Bhathra kannadhason
Akka! I added little bit of salt while grinding. Will my aapam come perfectly?
Vani
Hi, Aarthi...I tried the recipe...it didn't turn out well..I think the consistency was thinking.. Do tell the right consistency..other than this I followed the above recipe... please do share this one detail
Aarthi
The batter has to be little thin.
Priya S
Hi Aarthi,
I love your blog. I'm a big fan of your chicken curry, it's a hit every time I make it for friends and family 🙂
Quick question, there is no mention of the qty of cooked rice and when it is to be used in the recipe for 'Aappam with cooked rice', can you please look into this. Thanks
Pavitha
Hi aarthi
My appam was looking like plastic. Batter was fermented. Pls help me in wat went wrong
Div
Hi Aarti,
Appam is hard but sweet, didn't brown. Didn't come out like pictures. It came yellow. Can I add fresh fermented batter to it?
Aarthi
yes u can.
Aarthy
Hi Aarthi can you please tell me how much batter to take for heating and making that solid to be used.Also how many table spoon of sugar and salt for 2 cups of rice.
Manju hemanth
Raw rice (பச்சரிசி) one tumbler
Boiled rice புழுங்கல் அரிசி) one tumbler
Half a tumbler uriddhall
2 table spoon venthayam
Soak all ingredients atleast 3 to 4 hours
Grind all ingredients to make a smooth paste and add little salt.
Mix well n allow it to ferment overnight. No added baking soda .
Plz try ths method to making appam .It comes out very well n spongy ...
sudhakar prakash
The first 2appams are crisp after that they become rubbery. Why.
Sharon
Hi Aarthi, Can I use rice floyr instead?
swarna Yachamanani
Can I use basmati rice instead of raw rice
Aarthi
YOu need raw rice for appam.
swarna Yachamanani
CAN i USE BASBATI RICE INSTEAD OF RAW RICE
Aarthi
You need raw rice in this recipe.
Shila
I tried this and turned out good. But only thing it did not really brown. Why is that so.
Aarthi
it depends on the fermentation time and also the pan which you cook.
Yasmeen Basheer
If we use yeast, when should this ve added? During grinding or just before cooking, along with salt and sugar