This vellayappam recipe gives you soft, spongy appams perfect for soaking up stew or milk and banana. Made with yeast and pantry staples, it's a foolproof recipe you can cook on a dosa tawa.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Soaking and Fermenting Time12 hourshrs
Total Time12 hourshrs35 minutesmins
Course: Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Kerala, South Indian
Servings: 15Vellayappam
Calories: 95kcal
Author: Famidha Ashraf
Ingredients
2cupsraw rice(pachari)
1cupcooked rice(basmati)
1cupgrated coconut
1teaspooninstant yeast
2teaspoonsugar
salt to taste
2cupswater
Instructions
Rinse and soak the raw rice in plenty of water for 4 to 6 hours or overnight.
2 cups raw rice
To a mixie or grinder (powerful blender), drain and add the soaked raw rice, cooked rice, grated coconut, instant yeast, sugar and salt.Add half of the water to initially and grind until smooth and thick.
1 cup cooked rice, 1 cup grated coconut, 1 teaspoon instant yeast, 2 teaspoon sugar, salt to taste, 2 cups water, 2 cups raw rice
Pour the batter into a large deep bowl (it’ll rise!). Make sure to add the remaining water and stir well. Cover loosely and leave in a warm place for 6–8 hours or overnight. It should double up and look bubbly on top. A good sign that fermentation worked!
Heat a well-seasoned flat dosa pan or appe panon medium heat.
Stir the batter gently. Pour a ladleful of batter in the centre and let it spread on its own. Let it cook undisturbed until you start seeing holes forming. Cover with a lid and cook until the surface looks set. No need to flip! Note: These appams are meant to be soft and pillowy with holes all over and may not feature the crispy lace edges! Check the post for other methods of pouring.
As you cook each appam, place them scattered on a tray. Do not stack them right away. This helps prevent them from sticking to each other while they’re still hot and steamy.
Serve these pillowy soft appams with Kerala style stew or egg curry or just dunk in sweetened coconut milk for a nostalgic bite!
Notes
Batter too thick? Add a few tablespoons of water before making the appams.
Batter consistency is key: not too runny, not too thick.
If your batter didn’t ferment, try a warmer spot or slightly more yeast.
Leftover batter keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before cooking.