Appam

Appam (IPA: [apːam]), or hoppers, are a type of food in Sri Lankan and South Indian cuisine. It is called Appam in Kerala and Aappam in Tamil Nadu and, Paddu or Gulle Eriyappa in Kannada. Appa is the singular of appam. It is eaten most frequently for breakfast or dinner.

Appum or aapum - pronunciation variation based on the region - is a term equivalent to bread. A bread made of rice batter on a stone griddle is in certain parts of the country called kullappam, where kull means "stone".

Variations

• Plain hoppers are bowl-shaped thin pancakes made from fermented rice flour. They derive their shape from the small Appachatti in which they are cooked. They are fairly bland, and always served with a spicy accompaniment. These hoppers are made from a batter using rice, yeast, salt and a little sugar. After the mixture has stood for a couple of hours, it can be fried in the appachatti with a little oil.

• Egg hoppers are the same as plain hoppers, but an egg is broken into the pancake as it cooks.

• Milk hoppers have a spoonful of thick coconut milk/coconut cream added to the doughy centre. When cooked, the centre is firm to the touch but remains soft inside and is sweeter as a result of the coconut milk.

• Honey hoppers are crispy pancakes cooked with a generous amount of palm treacle. Some people also like to add some jaggery just before serving to make it extra sweet.

• String hopper, or Idiyappam (IPA: [iʈijapːam]), is made from rice noodles curled into flat spirals. It is served for breakfast with a thin fish or chicken curry, containing only one or two pieces of meat, a dhal (lentil) dish, and a spicy sambol or fresh chutney. String hoppers are made from steamed rice flour made into a dough with water and a little salt, and forced through a mould similar to those used for pasta to make the strings. They are cooked by steaming. These hoppers can be bought ready-made. The Indian & Lankan population eats String Hoppers for breakfast or dinner. There are many variations to this, depending on the type of flour used etc. This simple dish can be adapted to more interesting things such as String Hopper Biriyani, by adding scrambled eggs or vegetables.

Appam also refers to another South Indian sweet snack, neyyappam, which owes its origins to Tamil Nadu and Kerala. This is made with rice flour, jaggery, clarified butter ghee. Unni appam is a variation in which mashed plantain is added to the batter. The batter made out of rice flour, jaggery and plantain is poured into a vessel called Appakarai or Appakaram, which has ghee heated to a high temperature. The appams take the shape of small cups, and are fried until deep brown. Both neyyappam and unni appam are eaten as snacks. This is festive sweet, made on Gokulashtami - the birthday of Hindu deity, Krishna. It is also a common prasadam in Kerala temples.

External links

• Coconut Appam Recipe
• http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pal-appam