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133 Comments

  1. I am planning on making this for lunch tomorrow. Does it matter if the rice is soaked for longer than 5 hours? I am planning on soaking the rice overnight and grinding and fermenting the batter tomorrow so it is fresh. Thank you.

    1. Thanks for your comment. In cooler weather, soaking rice overnight is usually fine. But in warmer temperatures, soaking for more than 5 to 6 hours can sometimes lead to a bit of fermentation or a slight sour taste.

      If your kitchen is warm, it’s better to soak for around 4 to 5 hours, then drain and refrigerate the rice if you plan to grind it later. Hope this helps, and happy cooking.

  2. I always look for your recipes, when I’m trying something new. When your measurements are followed exactly, the dishes turn out awesome. Thank you so much for all the recipes you have shared.5 stars

  3. Appam and stew is one of my most favourite South Indian food combination of all times. With this recipe of appam, I have literally mastered making them at home.5 stars

    1. You can soak separately for 30 minutes or with the rice or can use it directly while grinding the appam ingredients. But first rinse the aval (poha).

      1. Aapams came out extremely well but they were a bit too crispy. How can I decrease the crispiness?5 stars

        1. Try adding more batter into the pan when making the appam. This will help them to be thicker and soft. Thinly spread batter will result in a more crispy texture. Also you can reduce the oil as more oil will also cause them to be crisp.

  4. We tried this today for breakfast. Very nice and went well with mint coconut chutney. Thanks for recipe5 stars

  5. Your site is my default option for anything I am planning to cook. 🙂
    Tried the appam recipe today and I think it could have turned out better. Basically tried half a recipe so used only 1/4 tsp of active dry yeast. Even after keeping it for 15 hours I got only a little bit of fermentation. Should I have added more yeast? Or less water? Not sure what to tinker with next time. Any suggestion will be great. Thanks!5 stars

    1. Thanks Anu. The fermentation largely depends on the temperature. A cooler temperature will take more hours for fermentation. The amount of yeast is not the problem. Also try adding slightly more water. Less water can also affect the fermentation. I hope this helps.

  6. Can we use rice flour instead of rice? We can soak it for longer time maybe and add yeast at some stage.

  7. Hi Dassana

    When u use coconut while grinding and then keeping it outside in room temparature for fermentation, is there any chance that the batter may get bad?

    1. hi sree, the batter does not get bad. the ground coconut along with the rice gets fermented. since the coconut is finely ground and mixed with rice, it does not get spoiled. hope this helps.

  8. Hi Dassana,
    You say boiled rice or parboiled rice or Idli rice; is the Idli rice boiled? Also, what’s the difference between cooked and boiled/parboiled?
    I haven’t tried making Appams but I gave you 4 stars because I’m an optimist!! Thanks4 stars

    1. yes the idli rice is parboiled. cooked rice is raw rice which has been cooked completely and the one we serve with any dal or curry. parboiled rice or boiled rice are rice grains which are partially boiled in the husks. then they are dried and husked. thanks for the rating and i am sure you will love the appam recipe.

  9. Tried the recipe, my first ever try with an appam batter. Turned out perfectly well & everyone enjoyed it thoroughly. Thanks for this wonderful and easy to make recipe.5 stars

  10. Hello Dassana –

    I have tried a few recipes from your site and I must say – your recipes are failproof!!! Excellent instructions and wonderful pictures too. Thank you for creating this site with so many wonderful (both homely and exotic) recipes that we can follow to much praise from our families:) My 5 year old son especially has been a fan of your Mysore Pak and Kaju Katli since he was maybe 3 years old, and they continue to be favorites of his – so this feedback has been long in coming!!

    I wanted to ask about appam recipe – does this recipe make for only 5 or 6 appams? So if i need about 15-20 appams i would need to triple this recipe?

    Thanks again Dassana
    SP

    1. thank you SP. glad to read your positive reviews. the appam recipe does not make 5 or 6 appams. by 5 to 6 servings i meant that the recipe serves 5 to 6 people. this appam recipe will easily yield 15 to 20 appams.

  11. Hello,
    I wanted to know after fermentation can we add salt right away and keep it in the fridge or should we should add salt right beforehand we make it ?

    1. if you live in a warm or hot climate, then add salt before to avoid over fermentation. if you live in a cool or cold place, then add salt once the batter is fermented.

    1. could be that the batter is thin. thats why the appams must be breaking. when grinding you can reduce the amount of water than what you add.

      1. one more thing..this time, i made appam as per yr recipe…but got sticky sort of…not soft …
        sory to trouble u again…wat cud be the reason….fermentaion was good….

        1. stickiness could be due over fermentation. appam batter if fermented properly won’t be sticky. no problem elizabeth, if any issues happen when making a recipe, you can always let me know.

  12. Hi dassana
    I dont have parboiled rice .
    Can i use regular sonamasoori rice in place of paraboiled rice and
    Will that be like 3 cups of rice totally???

  13. Hi dassana
    What will the shelf life of batter if we keep it in fridge after every usage?
    Will it stay for 3-4 days?

  14. Hello Dasana!
    Can I used normal basmati rice instead of parboiled rice? Would it make any difference Int be appams?

    1. you can use use any short grained variety of regular rice. is using basmati rice, the use tukda basmati rice. that said, you can also use regular basmati rice. some change in the texture will be there if you use regular basmati rice.

  15. Hi
    Can i stack the appam one on top of the other? Planning to take them on a trip. Will it stick to each other? If so, how can I avoid it?
    TIA

    1. they will stick to each other. one way is by keeping banana leaves in between the appams. the other way is by keeping butter paper or parchment paper between them.

  16. May I ask what is the difference between boiled rice and cooked rice. Your recipe says use 1 cup of parboiled or boiled rice and then handful of cooked rice.

    1. merlyn, parboiled or boiled rice as we call these grains are rice which is parboiled or boiled more. then they are dried and pounded to remove the husks. the grains are then sold commercially. this type of rice is used to make idlis as well as appams. cooked rice is rice which is steamed or cooked that we have with any dal or curry.

  17. Hi, I made the appams twice using your recipe and they came out very well.
    I have one question though, my appams seem to have a slight sour taste/smell, they are not as sweet as I want them to be. What could I be doing wrong ? I followed the measurements exactly. Maybe I need slightly lesser yeast ?5 stars

  18. Hi dear. I made the batter but I forgot to add yeast. Can i substitute it with baking soda or i can add yeast at this stage itself? Please help

    1. narmadha, you can add instant yeast or dry active yeast now. for dry active yeast, dissolve the yeast in 1 tablespoon warm water + pinch of sugar solution. let it bubble and froth for 10 to 15 minutes. then add in the batter. cover and keep aside for 30 to 45 minutes. if using instant yeast, add 1/8th teaspoon (about 2 pinches) directly to the batter. mix very well and keep covered for 30 minutes. you can also add baking soda. so just add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. mix very well and then use the batter to make appams.

  19. Hi … I am planning to make this for tomorrow s breakfast… Hav made the batter n kept.. I made a small mistake instead of 1/2 tea spn i added 1/2 TV spn dry yeast.. do u think it’s going to get over fermented??

    1. yes it will get over fermented. it will also give too much of yeast aroma and flavor. just add 1 cup of idli rava if you have it or soak regular rice in warm water for an hour. then grind it and add to this batter. this will balance the proportion of yeast. adjust sugar and salt as required.

  20. Made this with the yeast option and fermented it overnight in the oven at 35 degrees C. The batter consistency is tricky and took a little practice. I added a few drops of water after fermenting and throughout from one appam to another until finally the last appam came out almost as good as the ones I had at the Leela in Kovalam. I found that once the right consistency is achieved, the last step in the Kadai becomes better and easier and the appams more authentic, though I still needed practice in this stage too. I used ghee in the Kadai. I will try using Toddy next time but could do with some advice on how much of it to use?
    In summary another excellent recipe from Dassana and the wife stamped her approval by eating a hell of a lot of them. I will add my comments on the stew under that recipe…

    1. yes the batter consistency is unlike a dosa batter and it does take practice. try making with coconut oil. the appams tastes damn good. if using toddy, then skip the yeast altogether. you may need to add less water if using toddy. i guess 3/4 cup toddy would be fine for the overall amount of rice used in this recipe. and thank a lot 🙂

  21. Hi Dassana,
    I have found something called Goan Coconut Vinegar (Toddy). Before I buy it, do you reckon this is the same toddy you refer to in the preamble to the recipe? How and what quantity do you think one should use instead of the yeast?
    Thanks,
    Rohit.

    1. goan coconut vinegar has a very strong flavor, compared to other vinegars. toddy will be different than vinegar. if its toddy then you can add. but if its vinegar then don’t add.

  22. Hi Dassana,
    Tried this appam recipe today. Turned out well. My daughter’s favorite and she loved it. Thank you. I am sharing your link with friends who requested the recipe…..thanks again.

    Devi

  23. Hi Dassana..
    I m trying your appam recipe tonight and i have a query. Can i by any chance use the packaged grated coconut. Its because i don’t have any fresh coconut in hand. Would the final result look/taste any different? Thanks in advance..

    1. by packaged coconut, you mean frozen or desiccated coconut. frozen coconut you can use. but just make sure its within its shelf period and not close to getting rancid. avoid using desiccated coconut. as the final taste will be different than the appams made with fresh coconut.

  24. if i going to take 1kg rice for making appam , so how much quantity off coconut and boild rice and yeast are required?5 stars

  25. Hi! Thank you very much for the awesome recipe! I hadn’t made appams since ages and forgot the proportions that I used to use; I tried your recipe and since then have made it three times; each time it has come out superb! My husband and my children thoroughly enjoyed them! God bless you for your clear and thoughtful instructions! Keep up the good work!5 stars

  26. What is dry active yeast?
    And
    what is the meaning of ‘proof the yeast’ separately?

    What is yeast proofed solution?

    Is yeast = curd ?
    I know 2 types of curd, one is fresh curd ( Taza Dahi), a bit sweet in taste, and second one is sour curd ( Khatta Dahi) , this one is a bit old or Basi Dahi.

    Kindly help me on my above query.

    Warm regards,
    Shivam5 stars

    1. hi shivam, yeast are unicellular micro organisms. some strains of yeast are beneficial and used in the fermentation & leavening of food like bread, wine and beer. dry active yeast are yeast cells which have been dried and sold commercially. dry active yeast is used for leavening of bread. a yeast proofed solution is a mixture of yeast, warm water & sugar, which activates the dry yeast. they grow and multiply as a result the solution froths and bubbles up. this method is called as proofing.

      yeast is not curd or dahi. however in some indian recipes dahi or curd is also used for leavening. here the leavening happens due to the presence of beneficial bacteria in the curd.

      1. Hi,
        Thanks for your response.
        1) Can we use Khatta Dahi (Khatta Curd) instead of yeast for the fermentation (or leavening) process overnight?

        2) From where we get yeast? As I enquired in my city, generally yeast are used by daily needs factory, who have making bread and pav etc. And yeast is sold in quantity, so from where we get one teaspoon yeast?
        Also people told me that if we put the yeast in freeze ( refrigerator) it will have bad and strong smell which will spread in other items which we put in freeze using in home.

        3) Any suggestive brand/packet of yeast, and quantity which will available in retail market, which we can purchase easily?

        4) Which is the ideal shop where we probably get yeast, is it daily needs shop?

        5) Can we make yeast in home? Which we can use in this Appam Recipe.

        I love appam very much. I used to eat this in one of the pune’s hotel, cituated near nal stop. But this dish is not available easily in all other hotels. And I was left the pune city too. So know finally I decided to learn this dish and will cook in home everyday :-).

        Your help will be much appreciated for my above queries. You are doing a Nobel work to help us.

        Love and Respect,
        Shivam5 stars

        1. welcome shivam. before i reply to your queries, you can have a look at this recipe of appam made without yeast – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/appam-recipe-no-yeast-appam/

          1. in appam curd is not added. appam has a nice faint sweet taste coming from the coconut. curd will change the taste.
          2. dry active yeast is sold in most metro cities. you will easily get in the local shops too. the yeast sold by bakeries is fresh yeast. if you are a regular customer then you they may give you some. and fresh yeast has to be stored in the freezer and used quickly as possible in a few weeks. dry active yeast or instant yeast can be stored for many months. usually commercially sold fresh yeast is well packed, so there is no smell that will spread on the other stuff. you can also store it in a box. if the yeast spoils then there will be rotten smell in the fridge.
          3. from the indian brands i have used, muksha and blue bird are fine. mauripan/gloripan and red star is good.
          4. you will get yeast in any super market. in metro cities the daily needs shop will have yeast.
          5. you cannot manufacture yeast at home, but there is an indian technique that draws wild yeast from the air. this method is called as making khameer and is used for the preparation of bhatura or naan where yeast is not added. a reader has suggested that coconut water + a bit of sugar can be fermented (kept for some hours) and then added to the ground rice. this way there is no need to add yeast.

  27. The Appams came out great. I used the “proof the yeast” approach. I had to grind in 2 batches, when the 2nd one became too watery I added rice powder to correct it. Very soft in the center and crisp on the outsides.

    Thanks !5 stars

  28. I really love appam..it was introduced by an Indian friend…I was wondering at first on what are the Indian food would tastes. .I was amazed when I tried appam with dal curry and something fish curry..thank u…for posting this recipe. I will try it at home too…5 stars

  29. Oh, my, goodness. I visited Chennai a couple years ago and was completely ADDICTED to this place that made these and served them with coconut milk. I came home to Seattle to find not a single Indian restaurant that makes these or knows what they are. Thank you so much for posting this!!! I CANNOT wait to try making these!!!

  30. Mindblowingly soft and lacy appams!
    I must admit that although from Kerala, I had yet to perfect the best appam recipe. These were a huge hit at home. Thanks a lot Dassana!5 stars

  31. Hi Dassana,

    I tried your appam recipe today, I could never imagine it would come out so well. I always wanted to learn this dish and its great pleasure to realize that I can cook it too! Thank you so much. Could you be able to tell me, which one is more healthy, the one with yeast or the one without. I have not tried the one without yeast, however this one above was fantastic, my son loved it! 🙂5 stars

    1. thanks archana. both the appam recipes are good. the yeast one has the aroma of yeast. for folks who do not like the yeasty aroma or are satvik vegetarians, the other recipe work well. you can try the appam recipe without yeast too.

  32. Hi

    I tried these appams today. Made the batter last night. Today morning the batter had rose just like in your picture. But when I made the dosa, it didn’t fluffen up 🙁 it was heavy. I still have lots of batter left. Can you please help in me how can I repair the batter? Please 🙁

    1. okay. i am late in replying actually. was not in town. i am wondering what you did with the batter. if you keep it for a few more hours to ferment, the appams will become soft.

    1. i don’t have a no grind idli recipe. i still prepare idlis the traditional way. i recently read somewhere about no grind idlis but have not experimented. will sure update if the recipe is a success.

  33. Appams are such great accompaniment to mild curries in summers. Your tutorials are always wonderful and so helpful for beginners.

  34. oh yum! I have been looking on the web and trying so many appam recipes for long but nothing has worked perfectly for me. I ate a lot of appams during my few months in Kerala and I m surely going to make your recipe. These look lacy and soft and crispy!

  35. appam and ishtu or stew are my all time favorite combo.. nicely done and so well explained