Appam is a type of thin pancake originating from
South India
South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territ ...
. It is made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk, traditionally cooked in an ''appachatti'', a deep pan similar in shape to a wok. It is common in the cusine of
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
and
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
. Appam are most frequently served for breakfast or dinner, often with a topping such as an egg.
History
Vir Sanghvi
Vir Sanghvi (born 5 July 1956) is an Indian print and television journalist, author, columnist and talk show host. He has been a member of many professional, academic and government bodies including the National Integration Council. Currently, h ...
, an Indian journalist, quotes food historian
K. T. Achaya and states that the appam is mentioned in the
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
''
Perumpanuru''.
Achaya states that appam was well-established in
ancient Tamil country
Tamiḻakam ( Tamil: தமிழகம்; Malayalam: തമിഴകം), refers to the geographical region inhabited by the ancient Tamil people, covering the southernmost region of the Indian subcontinent. Tamilakam covered today's Tamil Na ...
.
Variations
Idiyappam
Idiyappam
Idiyappam ( ta, இடியப்பம்/இடியாப்பம், Malayalam: ഇടിയപ്പം), also known as string hopper, ''indiappa'' ( Sinhala: ඉඳිආප්ප), ''noolputtu'' ( ta, நூல்புட்டு, M ...
(string hopper or noolputtu) is made from rice noodles curled into flat spirals. It is served for breakfast with a thin curry of fish or chicken, containing only one or two pieces of meat, a dhal (lentil) dish, and a spicy
sambol or fresh
chutney
A chutney is a spread in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion or mint dipping sa ...
.
Kiri hodi
Kiri hodi ( si, කිරි හොදි), which literally translates to milk curry, is a popular and traditional Sri Lankan fragrant coconut milk gravy. Made using a few basic ingredients, this dish is traditionally served hot alongside po ...
or sodhi, a type of coconut milk curry, is another popular accompaniment to idiyappam. 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. Some people even sprinkle grated coconut on the rice noodles. These hoppers can be bought ready-made. The Indian and Sri Lankan population eats string hoppers for breakfast or dinner. There are many variations to this, depending on, for example, the type of flour used. This simple dish can be adapted into other foods such as string hopper
biriyani
Biryani () is a mixed rice dish originating among the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. It is made with Indian spices, rice, and usually some type of meat (chicken, beef, goat, lamb, prawn, fish) or in some cases without any meat, and so ...
, by adding scrambled eggs or vegetables.
Achappam
Achappam
Achappam ('achu' meaning mould and 'appam' meaning food made with flour) is a deep fried rose cookie made with rice flour. It is a signature Syrian Christian food believed to come from Dutch influence. In Kerala, it is an essential snack for Chri ...
is a deep-fried rose cookie made with rice. It is a signature
Syrian Christian food.
Kuzhalappam
Kuzhalappam is a typical Syrian Christian dish which is a fried crisp curled up like a tube.
Neyyappam
Neyyappam
Neyyappam (Malayalam: നെയ്യപ്പം) is a sweet rice-based fritter fried in ghee. Neyyappam has its origins in the southern Indian state of Kerala and coastal Karnataka. The name is derived from the words ''neyy'' ( നെയ് ...
owes its origins to Kerala and has been a traditional offering in Hindu temples for God.
It is made with rice flour,
jaggery, clarified butter
ghee, which is the traditional method of making Nei appam. Again, the different culture and religious practices introduced variations to the dish as described in the citation above
Unni appam is a variation in which mashed
plantain
Plantain may refer to:
Plants and fruits
* Cooking banana, banana cultivars in the genus ''Musa'' whose fruits are generally used in cooking
** True plantains, a group of cultivars of the genus ''Musa''
* ''Plantaginaceae'', a family of flowerin ...
is added to the batter. The batter is 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.
Pesaha appam
Pesaha appam is made by
Nasrani Christians in Kerala during
Pesaha
Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the The Exodus, Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the first month of Aviv, or ...
(Passover). This type of appam is dipped in syrup or Pesaha Pal (Passover Coconut Milk) before being served.
Vattayappam
![Vattayappam (2)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Vattayappam_%282%29.JPG)
Vattayappam is made from rice flour, sugar, and coconut. It is an oil free tea time snack in majority of households in Kerala. The dish is made by steam-cooking the batter, and is very similar to the
bánh bò
''Bánh bò'' (literally "cow cake" or "crawl cake") is a sweet, chewy sponge cake from Vietnam. It is made from rice flour, water, sugar, and yeast, and has a honeycomb-like appearance (called ''rễ tre'', literally "bamboo roots," in Vie ...
from
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
.
Burmese ''apon''
Appam, called ''apon'' () in
Burmese, is a common street food in
Burmese cuisine. It is considered a delicacy of Southern Myanmar, in coastal towns like
Dawei
Dawei (, ; mnw, ဓဝဲါ, ; th, ทวาย, RTGS: ''Thawai'', ; formerly known as Tavoy) is a city in south-eastern Myanmar and is the capital of the Tanintharyi Region, formerly known as the Tenasserim Division, on the northern bank of ...
and
Myeik.
Kue apem
![Kue apem Pasar Terapung Lok Baintan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Kue_apem_Pasar_Terapung_Lok_Baintan.jpg)
In
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
, a variant of appam is known as ''kue apem'' or ''kue apam''. It is an Indonesian ''
kue
Kue is an Indonesian bite-sized snack or dessert food. Kue is a fairly broad term in Indonesian to describe a wide variety of snacks including cakes, cookies, fritters, pies, scones, and patisserie. Kue are made from a variety of ingredients ...
'' or traditional cake of steamed dough made of
rice flour
Rice flour (also rice powder) is a form of flour made from finely milled rice. It is distinct from rice starch, which is usually produced by steeping rice in lye. Rice flour is a common substitute for wheat flour. It is also used as a thickening ...
,
coconut milk, yeast and
palm sugar, usually served with grated
coconut. Indonesian households or community traditionally communally made kue apem for celebration and festivities. For example,
Keraton Yogyakarta
The Royal Palace of Yogyakarta ( id, Keraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat, jv, ꦏꦿꦠꦺꦴꦤ꧀ꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦠꦲꦢꦶꦤꦶꦔꦿꦠ꧀) is a palace complex in the city of Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta Special Region, Indonesia. It is ...
traditionally held ''Ngapem'' ceremony, where royal household communally cook ''kue apem'' (Javanese version of ''appam'') as a part of ''Tingalan Jumenengan Dalem'' ceremony.
It is quite similar to ''
kue mangkok
''Kue mangkok'' or ''kue mangkuk'' is an Indonesian cuisine, Indonesian ''kue'' or traditional snack of Steaming, steamed cupcake. ''Kue mangkok'' means "bowl/cup cake". It is similar to the snack ''bolu kukus'' ("steamed tart/cake"). While both h ...
''. Just like ''
kue putu
''Kue putu'' or ''putu bambu'' is an Indonesian '' kue''. It is made of rice flour called ''suji'' and coloured green with pandan leaves, filled with palm sugar, steamed in bamboo tubes (hence the name), and served with desiccated coconut. Thi ...
'' it is derived from Indian influence on
Indonesian cuisine.
See also
*
Apam balik
*
Dosa (food)
A dosa, also called dosai, dosey, or dosha, is a thin pancake in South Indian cuisine made from a fermented batter of ground black lentils and rice. Dosas are popular in South Asia as well as around the world. Dosas are served hot, often wit ...
*
Uttapam
An uttapam (or uthapam, uttappam, etc.) is a type of dosa from South India. Unlike a typical dosa, which is crisp and crepe-like, an uttapam is thicker, with toppings. The name is derived from the Tamil words ''appam'' and ''utthia'' or ''uttr ...
*
List of fermented foods
This is a list of fermented foods, which are foods produced or preserved by the action of microorganisms. In this context, fermentation typically refers to the fermentation of sugar to alcohol using yeast, but other fermentation processes involv ...
*
List of Indian breads
Indian breads are a wide variety of flatbreads and crêpes which are an integral part of Indian cuisine. Their variation reflects the diversity of Indian culture and food habits.
Ingredients
Most flat breads from northern India are unleavened a ...
*
List of pancakes
This is a list of notable pancakes. A pancake is a flat cake, often thin and round, prepared from a starch-based batter and cooked on a hot surface such as a griddle or frying pan. In Britain, pancakes are often unleavened, and resemble a crêpe ...
*
References
{{Kue
Fermented foods
Tamil cuisine
Sri Lankan pancakes
Indian breads
Kerala cuisine
Articles containing video clips
Sri Lankan egg dishes
Indian cuisine
Indonesian breads
Indonesian pancakes
Javanese cuisine