Appam with Stew
An authentic vegetarian recipe from Kerala, India
Cook Time
30 mins
Servings
4 servings
Difficulty
MediumCategory
VegetarianIngredients
For 4 servings
300g Raw rice (soaked 4 hours)
100g Cooked rice
200ml Coconut milk (thick)
5g Active dry yeast
10g Sugar
4g Salt
300g Potatoes (cubed)
150g Carrots (cubed)
100g Green beans (cut)
1piece Onion (sliced)
3piece Green chillies (slit)
15g Ginger (julienned)
300ml Coconut milk (thin)
100ml Coconut milk (thick, for finishing)
5g Whole black peppercorns
1piece Cinnamon stick
3piece Cloves
10piece Curry leaves
30ml Coconut oil
19 ingredients needed
💡 Pro Tip: Gather all ingredients before you start cooking for a smooth preparation process.
Cooking Instructions
Follow these step-by-step instructions to prepare this authentic dish
Grind the soaked raw rice with cooked rice and thick coconut milk into a smooth batter. Dissolve yeast and sugar in 2 tablespoons of warm water and add to the batter. Add salt, mix well, and ferment for 6–8 hours or overnight.
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For the stew: heat coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. Add cinnamon, cloves, and peppercorns. Sauté for 30 seconds.
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Add sliced onion, green chillies, ginger, and curry leaves. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
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Add the cubed potatoes, carrots, and green beans. Stir to coat in the spices.
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Pour in the thin coconut milk and add salt. Cover and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
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Reduce heat to low and stir in the thick coconut milk. Do not boil after adding thick coconut milk — it will curdle. Simmer gently for 2 minutes and remove from heat.
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For the appam: heat an appam pan (or a small wok) over medium heat and grease lightly with coconut oil.
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Pour a ladleful of batter into the centre of the pan. Quickly swirl the pan in a circular motion to spread the batter up the sides, leaving a thick centre and thin, lacy edges.
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Cover with a lid and cook for 2–3 minutes until the edges are crispy and the centre is soft and cooked through. Do not flip.
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Serve the appam immediately with the warm vegetable stew.
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Chef's Tips
Fermenting the batter overnight gives appam its characteristic slight sourness and airy texture — don't skip this step.
The swirling technique is key: pour the batter and swirl the pan immediately before it sets to create the thin, crispy edges.
Never boil the stew after adding thick coconut milk — it will split and become grainy.
Appam is best eaten fresh off the pan; it becomes chewy as it cools.
About This Dish
Appam with Stew is a traditional vegetarian dish from Kerala, India. This authentic recipe provides exact measurements for cooking 4 servings.
- Fermenting the batter overnight gives appam its characteristic slight sourness and airy texture — don't skip this step. - The swirling technique is key: pour the batter and swirl the pan immediately before it sets to create the thin, crispy edges. - Never boil the stew after adding thick coconut milk — it will split and become grainy. - Appam is best eaten fresh off the pan; it becomes chewy as it cools.
Category
Vegetarian
Cook Time
30 mins
Servings
4 servings
Difficulty
Medium