Appam Recipe (Kerala Rice and Coconut Hoppers)
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This appam recipe is made with fermented rice and coconut batter, cooked into delicate pancakes with lacy edges and a soft center. Also known as palappam, these Kerala favorites are delicious paired with coconut milk or a curry. They’re subtly sweet, so they work with savory dishes without needing much seasoning of their own.
Appam are a popular breakfast option in Kerala, although they’re also eaten at dinner. You might recognize the name “hopper” from Sri Lankan cooking, where related rice pancakes are widely enjoyed. Here, the focus is Kerala-style appam with yeast, served with a separate accompaniment.
Appam at a Glance
Why You’ll Love It
- A delicate, crisp rim: The curved pan gives each pancake a light, lacy edge that you can break off with your fingers.
- A change from bread or rice: The soft middle soaks up coconut-based stew and curry beautifully.
- Naturally dairy-free: There’s no milk, butter or yogurt in the batter, and you don’t need wheat flour either.
Appam Ingredients
The complete ingredients list and quantities are in the recipe card below.
- Raw white rice: Sona masuri or ponni rice are good choices. I recommend that you measure the rice before soaking it. Instant microwave rice won’t work as the main ingredient.
- Grated coconut: You can use either fresh coconut or thawed, unsweetened frozen grated coconut for this appam recipe. Sweetened baking coconut isn’t the right product.
- Cooked white rice: A small amount goes into the blender with the soaked rice. Use freshly cooked rice that has cooled promptly, without any added seasoning.
- Instant yeast: Choose instant baking yeast, not nutritional yeast. This recipe’s fermentation schedule is for instant yeast.
- Sugar and salt: The batter is mildly sweet and lightly seasoned. Sugar also supports fermentation.
- Water: Add it gradually so you can blend the rice smoothly without making the batter watery.
How to Make This Appam Recipe
The full instructions with weights and measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Soak the rice: Rinse the raw rice and soak it until softened, then drain it.
- Blend the batter: Grind the soaked rice with coconut, cooked rice, sugar, salt and enough water to make a smooth batter.
- Let it ferment: Stir in the instant yeast and cover the bowl until the batter rises and develops bubbles.
- Swirl and cook: Pour the batter into the warm appam pan, swirl it up the sides and cover until the center cooks through.
- Lift out the appam: Release the edges gently and repeat with the remaining batter.
Handy Equipment for a Kerala Appam Recipe
- Appam pan with a lid: The curved sides help to form the lacy rim. Choose one that works on your stovetop.
- Blender: Blend the soaked rice thoroughly so the batter has no coarse grains.
- Large mixing bowl: Leave enough room for the batter to rise during fermentation.
- Ladle: Pour a consistent amount of batter into the pan.
- Flexible silicone spatula: Loosen the cooked edges without scratching the pan.
- Measuring cups and spoons: Measure the ingredients before soaking and blending.
How to Make Appam Batter That Spreads Well
The batter should pour easily from the ladle and flow around the pan when you tilt it. If it sits in a thick mound, you can stir in a little water. Make sure you’re only adding only a small splash at a time. I like to cook a test appam before adjusting the whole batter mixture again.
Start with a smooth batter and check the fermentation by appearance. It should visibly rise and look bubbly. A cold kitchen can slow it down, so it’s best to find a comfortably warm spot away from direct heat. The pan should be hot enough for the batter to set as you swirl it, but not so hot that it catches before spreading!
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-free: The rice and coconut batter contains no wheat. Check packaged ingredients for cross-contact information if you need a strict gluten-free appam.
- Dairy-free and vegan: Plain appam are already both. Choose a vegetable accompaniment if you want the whole meal to be vegan.
- Flattened rice: You can use ¼ cup thick poha instead of the cooked rice. Rinse it before blending.
- Rice flour: Appam with rice flour needs its own batter formula. Don’t swap it cup for cup for the soaked raw rice here.
Appam and Stew Serving Ideas
Appam and stew is a familiar Kerala pairing. The stew is a separate dish, often made with coconut milk and either vegetables or meat. Vegetable ishtu and chicken stew are traditional choices, and kadala curry, made with black chickpeas, is another popular appam side dish. Appam are also served with sweetened coconut milk.
You can also pair the appam with a curry you already enjoy. My slow cooker butter chicken is a richer option, although it isn’t a Kerala stew. Another option is lamb curry with sweet potatoes.
How to Store Appam
- Make ahead: Plan the soaking and fermentation before you want to eat. Once the batter has risen, refrigerate any portion you won’t cook straight away and use it within 24 hours.
- Refrigerate: Cool cooked appam promptly, ideally within 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate. Eat within 24 hours. The edges will be less crisp after storage.
- Reheat: Warm the appam in a covered pan until steaming hot throughout. Reheat only once.
- Freeze: Fermented batter can be frozen in portions for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator and use it within 24 hours. It may need a stir after thawing. Cooked appam are best fresh because their delicate edges don’t stay crisp.
Appam FAQs
Hopper is the English name commonly used for related Sri Lankan rice pancakes. Appam is the name used in parts of South India, including Kerala. Recipes vary between regions and households.
No. This appam batter is made with rice and coconut, then cooked in a curved pan. Many familiar dosa batters contain rice and urad dal and are spread over a flat griddle.
Some other appam recipes ferment without commercial yeast. Simply leaving the yeast out of this particular appam batter recipe won’t give you the same schedule or reliable results though.
A small nonstick skillet with a lid can cook the batter, but the appam will come out flatter. You need curved sides to form the characteristic raised rim.
No. Keep the pan covered so the center cooks through from the trapped steam. Lift the appam out once the top has set and the edges release. If you want to make something you can flip, try my IHOP copycat pancakes or banana pancakes!
Appam (Kerala Rice and Coconut Hoppers)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (300g) uncooked white rice, such as sona masuri or ponni
- 2 cups (480ml) water, for soaking, plus more if needed to cover
- ¼ cup (about 40g) plain cooked white rice, freshly cooked and cooled promptly
- ½ cup (about 40g) freshly grated coconut, or thawed unsweetened frozen grated coconut
- ¾ cup (180ml) water, for blending, plus a little more as needed
- ½ teaspoon instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Equipment
- Appam pan with a lid
- Blender
- Large mixing bowl
- Ladle
- Flexible silicone spatula
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
Method
- Rinse the raw rice. Cover with the soaking water and soak for 4 hours. Drain well.
- Blend the drained rice with the cooked rice, coconut, sugar, salt and blending water until smooth and pourable.
- Transfer to a large bowl, stir in the yeast and cover. Ferment in a warm spot for about 1 to 2 hours, until risen and bubbly.
- Heat a nonstick appam pan over medium-low to medium heat. Pour in about ¼ cup (60ml) batter. Lift and swirl the pan to coat the sides, leaving a thicker center.
- Cover until the surface is set, the center is cooked and the edges release. Gently lift out with a flexible spatula.
- Repeat for the remaining appam, adjusting the heat as necessary.
Notes
- Timing and yield vary with room temperature, pan size and the amount of batter per appam. You should end up with about 15 appam.
- Serve them freshly cooked while they have crisp edges.
A Different Kind of Pancake
Appam broaden the idea of what a pancake can be, particularly if you grew up with a stack covered in syrup. Their gently fermented flavor in this appam recipe gives them a character of their own, and they’re a great introduction to Kerala breakfasts.
Other Recipes to Try
- My roti canai is a flaky Malaysian flatbread to enjoy with curry.
- For a spiced breakfast, you might enjoy this Indian omelet.
- Slow cooker butter chicken is a rich curry for a relaxed dinner.
- A different South Indian meal is my chicken biryani with drumsticks.
- You can explore Peranakan cooking with this kari kapitan chicken curry.
Image credit: Appam and Appams and Kadala Curry by Devika, CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized.
