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Appam and Ishtu

Breakfast from Kerala of savoury rice and coconut lacy crepes and a mildly spiced mixed vegetable and coconut milk stew,
Prep Time 1 hour
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

For the Appam:

  • 1 1/2 cups raw rice
  • 1 tsp dry active yeast
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 cup of coconut water or plain water
  • 1 1/2 tbsp cooked rice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup thick coconut milk or packed freshly grated coconut

For the Mixed Vegetable Ishtu

  • 2 1/2 cups diced mixed vegetables potatoes, green peas, French beans, carrots and sweet corn
  • 2 medium onions thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 2 tsp minced ginger
  • 2 or 3 green chillies slit lengthwise
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 4 cloves
  • 3 pods cardamom
  • 1 1/2 inch cinnamon piece
  • 3/4 cup coconut
  • 1 tsp rice flour
  • salt to taste

Instructions
 

For the Appam

  • If you are preparing these pancakes for breakfast, the preparation has to be done the previous night. Soak the raw rice in water for about 3 hours. Drain and keep aside. Then dissolve the yeast and sugar in the coconut water or plain water (at room temperature) and allow the mixture to froth (about 10 to 15 minutes). Now grind drained rice to a smooth batter using the yeast mixture. If you are using freshly grated coconut instead of coconut milk, then add to the batter and grind well. Add enough water to make grinding comfortable but ensure the batter is on the thicker side, consistency-wise. When the batter is almost done, add the cooked rice and grind well so everything is blended.
  • Pour the batter into a vessel, cover, and allow it to ferment overnight. Next morning, add the coconut milk (if using this, otherwise use water or a mixture of water and milk), salt and some water, if necessary, to dilute the batter to a somewhat thin batter (a little thicker than milk).
  • Heat the “aappachatti” (mine is non-stick), put a few drops of oil into it and wipe using paper towel so that a thin film of oil remains in the vessel. Turn the heat down to low and pour a small ladle of the batter (about 3 to 4 tbsp in quantity) in the middle of the pan. Now hold the pan by its ears/ handles, lift it off the stovetop and tilt the “aappachatti” in a cicular motion so that the batter is spread all over the pan, just short of the edges. Put the pan back on the stovetop. The excess batter will settle back in the centre of the pan creating a thick middle and thin lacy edges to the pancake. Now cover the pan and allow to cook for a couple of minutes. All this has to be done very quickly as the batter cooks very fast.
  • After a couple of minutes lift the lid. The centre should have cooked and puffed up a bit. If not, cover and cook for another minute taking care that the edges do not brown. Using a thin spatula, dislodge the pancake and remove. Repeat with the remaining batter and use it up.
  • Serve these Vellayaappams hot with the stew. They don’t taste too good cold. This batter should make about 15.

For the Mixed Vegetable Stew:

  • I usually cook the vegetables in the microwave. I MW them at 100% for about 8 minutes. Otherwise, cook them as below.
  • Heat the oil, and add the mustard seeds. When they splutter add the cardamom (split the pod open and add whole), cloves and cinnamon (broken smaller). Stir twice and then add the ginger, chillies and onions and sauté till the onions are translucent. Add the vegetables and curry leaves and a cup of water and the salt. Bring to boil. If using uncooked vegetables, turn down the heat and allow them to cook till soft but not mushy. Otherwise, simmer for about five minutes.
  • Mix the rice flour in the coconut milk and add to the vegetables mixing quickly. The rice flour thickens the gravy and ensures the coconut milk does not split. Turn down the heat and once it starts boiling, take it off the heat. The stew should now be a slightly thick coconut milk gravy with vegetables in it.