Neyyappam

Neyyappam is a traditional sweet/snack of Kerala. It is deep fried fitters made with rice and jaggery and with the enticing flavor of ghee and cardamom.You can use karupatti/palm jaggery or regular jaggery. Batter is mixed into a smooth thick paste and fermented overnight. But you can add baking soda if you want to make it the same day itself. The proportion of rice and jaggery/karupatti is 3:2 ratio,adjust according to the sweetness you prefer.This ever popular delicacy is soft in the inside and crispy in the out side.

Ingredients
Raw rice- 2 cup
Karupatti- 1 1/3 cup
(adjust according to taste)
Cardamon crushed- 5-6 pods
Chopped coconut slices- 3 tbs

Dry ginger/chukku - a pinch
Cumin powder- a pinch
Black sesame seeds- 1/2 tsp
Baking soda- a pinch
Salt- a pinch
Ghee- 2 tbs
Oil for frying

Wash and soak rice for 4-5 hour. Drain and spread the rice on kitchen towel and allow to air dry till it is almost dry. Make a fine powder of the rice and sieve. The rice flour need not be silky soft. The ratio of fine rice flour and coarsely grounded rice flour is 3:1. Set this flour aside.

Mix powdered karupatti with 1/2 cup of water and bring to boil. When it dissolves completely switch off ,strain the impurities and allow to cool.

Heat ghee in a pan and roast sliced coconut till it turns golden brown. Add black sesame seeds and roast for another minute.

In a bowl add rice flour, roasted coconut and sesame seeds,crushed cardamon, dry ginger powder and salt. Mix the karupatti syrup and whisk to make a smooth batter with consistency similar to idli batter. Allow it to ferment over night at room temperature.

Half an hour before frying add a pinch of baking soda, gently mix the batter. Leave it in the counter for another half an hour.Heat 2 cups of oil in a pan and pour ladle full of batter into the oil.Fry in medium low flame or the inside of the neyyappam also gets cooked.Fry on both side till it becomes evenly brown. Drain into paper towels. Serve with tea.