Appam is a popular South Indian dish made from fermented rice batter. It's soft and spongy in the centre with a crispy edge, typically served with coconut milk, vegetable stew, or chutney. Here's a simple recipe to make an appam at home.
Wash and soak the raw rice, parboiled rice, and fenugreek seeds in water for about 4-6 hours or overnight.
In a blender, add the soaked rice, grated coconut or coconut milk, cooked rice, and some water. Grind to a smooth batter. The consistency should be like pancake batter, slightly thick but pourable.
Transfer the batter to a large bowl, cover it, and let it ferment in a warm place for 8-12 hours or overnight. The batter should double in volume.
Pour a ladleful of batter into the centre of the pan. Hold the handles and swirl the pan to spread the batter in a circular motion. The batter should be thicker in the centre and thinner towards the edges.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook on medium heat until the edges are crispy and the centre is cooked. The appam should not be flipped. Serve hot appams with coconut milk, vegetable stew, or any chutney of your choice.