Karikku Appam/Tender Coconut Appam

Soft and fluffy appam with stew or egg curry is a favorite breakfast among Malayalees. Appam or laced rice crepes is a popular breakfast and is made with fermented rice and coconut batter. It is crispy at the edges and soft in the center. This recipe of Karikku appam makes delightfully light and fluffy appams. It is a yummy way to use tender coconut meat, and it is full of flavor. Does this sound exciting? Then check the recipe, it is super simple to make this delectable and healthy breakfast.

Tender coconut meat has a natural sweetness and adds a creamy, rich taste to the appam. Added to this is the flavorful tender coconut water. To make appam soaked rice and coconut is grounded into a smooth thin batter. Yeast aids the fermentation process. You can also use baking soda. Back in Kerala, it was easy to get a tender coconut. Coconut is quintessential in Kerala cooking. Street vendors with heaps of tender coconuts are a regular sight on the roadside. Karikku/tender coconut is a natural thirst quencher. It is not easy to get fresh ones here in the US but look for tender coconut in Asian markets or Whole Foods. Look for young tender coconuts that have coconut meat inside. You will need at least two for this recipe. Appam is perfect for an elaborate breakfast, as a first course with stew for lunch or dinner parties. It goes well with vegetables, chicken or mutton stew or, spicy chicken or mutton curry. One of my favorite way to eat this flavorful appam is to dip in sweetened coconut milk. Try this recipe, you will surely love it.

Karikku Appam/Tender Coconut Appam Recipe

Ingredients
Raw rice- 3 cup
Tender coconut water- 1 1/2 cup
Tender coconut pulp- 1/2 cup
Grated coconut- 1/4 cup (optional)
Parboiled rice cooked- 1/2 cup
Instant Yeast- 1 tsp
Sugar- 2 tbs
Salt to taste

Wash and soak the rice for four to five hours. Drain the water off and put the rice in a blender. Add tender coconut water and grind the rice into a smooth paste. Add the cooked rice and grind till it is smooth. Transfer this into a deep vessel or pot.
Next add coconut, tender coconut pulp, sugar, and one cup of water into the grinder or mixer. Grind till it is a smooth paste. Pour this into the rice batter. Add yeast and mix well. The batter should be of pouring consistency, a little thinner than dosa batter. It should rest for at least six hours or allow this to rest overnight at room temperature to ferment. If you are living in a cold place, warm up the oven at the lowest temperature- 150 F for 3 to 4 minutes, turn off the heat and then place it inside the oven to ferment overnight. The fermented batter should bubble up and get much lighter. Just before making the appam, mix salt. Heat appam chatti and grease with some oil. Pour a ladle full of the batter(roughly 1/4 cup batter) and swirl the pan around in a circle so that batter spreads around the pan. Cover with a lid and the steam will help the appam to cook. Cook for two minutes and make sure the center is cooked. It will turn fluffy in the center and the edges slightly crisp. If you like the laced sides to be a little bit browned and crispy cook for one more minute. Remove the appam from the pan. Similarly, cook the rest of the appams. Serve with curry.