Mini Appams served with Instant coconut milk (Mini fermented rice pancakes with instant coconut milk)

Category: Breakfast / Tiffin /Kids Recipes
Cooking Time: ~2 mins 

Appam, a South Indian pancake, is a must-try! Made from fermented rice batter and coconut milk, it has a unique flavor. It’s bowl-shaped with a crispy edge and a soft, thick center. Traditionally cooked in an appachatti, a deep pan like a wok, it’s usually eaten for breakfast or dinner, often with a side of vegetable stew or sweetened coconut milk. The secret to appam lies in its fermented batter, and some recipes even include yeast!  

When you visit a South Indian restaurant, especially those that serve a buffet, you’ll likely find a live Appam counter. These are delicious, hot flatbreads served with sweet coconut milk. The line is always long, but it’s worth it for the taste. Everyone loves these appams, and they’re especially popular with kids. Everyone absolutely adores these appams, and they’re particularly beloved by kids.

Initially, I experimented with making appams using Idli/dosa batter, but I soon realized that it was best to make appam batter separately. Fermentation is the secret ingredient that makes appams soft, fluffy, and porous. If you’re not able to ferment the batter, especially during cold winters, you can try adding a pinch of cooking or baking soda. But that’s totally optional.

I have also tried using millets - Barnyard millet (Kuthiraivaali) and it came out very well. The ingredients for millet batter also given below.

I tried making mini appams in our cast iron paniyaram pan. At first, I thought I’d only make a few servings, thinking it might be a bit time-consuming. But guess what? These days, I’d rather make mini appams than the regular ones. They’re so tempting, not just for the kids, but for everyone! Plus, they’re easy to eat. Just pour some coconut milk over each one and enjoy!  

Appam with sweetened coconut milk is a heavenly combination, and I also love them with a spicy veg stew or kurma. Since we’re only getting frozen coconut here, making coconut milk the traditional way takes some time to thaw and extract the milk. So, I’ve decided to use the organic Thai coconut milk cans we get from Costco. This way, it’ll be super easy, quick, and the taste won’t be compromised at all! 

Ingredients: 
For Appam:

• Idli rice - 1 & 1/2 cups
• Raw rice - 1 & 1/2 rice (I used Sona masoori rice)
• Whole white Urad dal - 1/4 cup
• Methi / Fenugreek seeds - 1 Tbsp
• Poha / Thick aval - 1/4 cup
• Coconut milk - as needed 
• Salt - as needed
• Optional - Cooking / Baking soda - a pinch for small portion of batter 
• Oil - to drizzle as needed

Millet Batter:

• Barnyard Millet (Kuthiraivaali) - 3/4 cup
• Idli rice - 3/4 cup
• Raw rice - 3/4 cup (I used Sona masoori rice)
• Whole white Urad dal - 3 Tbsp
• Methi / Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
• Poha / Thick aval - 3/4 cup
• Coconut milk - as needed 
• Salt - as needed
• Oil - to drizzle as needed

For Instant Coconut Milk:

• Thick coconut milk - 1 can (I used Thai Kitchen organic coconut milk)
• Water - 1/2 cup or as needed
• Sugar - 3 Tbsp or as needed for the sweetness level 
• Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp or as needed for flavor

Method: 

Making mini Appam:

Here’s how we make batter and ferment it:

• When making batter, we have two options: we can soak and grind rice and dal separately, or we can wash and soak rice, dal, poha together and methi seeds separately. Soaking for at least 6 hours or overnight is recommended.

• Once soaked, add the methi seeds to a wet grinder and grind them for 5 minutes with enough water until they’re fluffy and smooth. Then, add the rest of the soaked ingredients (rice, dal, and poha) and grind them into a smooth batter. The batter doesn’t need to be thick like our regular Idli batter.

•  For Millet batter, I soaked everything together (Poha added later 30 mins before grinding) and grind it to a batter.

• Transfer the batter into a large vessel, add salt, and let it ferment. If you live in a cold region, I recommend keeping it in a warm place like an Instant Pot yogurt mode, inside the oven with just the lights on, or near a warm window.

• The next day, the batter should have fermented nicely and be ready to make appams.

• Take out enough fermented batter, add little coconut milk to thin out to pouring consistency. If using soda, you can add a pinch and mix well. Once the batter is ready, we can start making appams. You can make appams in regular appam pan also. 

• If you are using the paniyaram  pan, heat the pan in medium heat and once it becomes hot, add little batter in all the holes. Then rotate the pan by holding the two sides of the pan and rotate in a circular motion to get a thins edges leaving little batter in the middle of each hole. If needed, drizzle a few drops of oil around the edges.

 

• Cook covered in a medium low flame. Once the top looks cooked, we can take these mini appams out. As it gets cooked, we can see holes in the appam. If no holes are seen, we can add a pinch of baking soda - this is optional only. 

• Repeat the steps as needed and make these cute little mini appams.

Making Instant coconut milk:
Here’s how you can make coconut milk:
Microwave Method:

• Combine all the ingredients listed under coconut milk preparation in a large microwave-safe bowl and mix thoroughly.
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• Adjust the sweetness and thickness to suit your taste preferences.

• Microwave for 2 minutes and check the taste. If necessary, add another 30 seconds, but avoid overcooking.

• Once cooked, it’s ready to be served.

Stovetop Method:

• Add all the ingredients listed under coconut milk preparation to a saucepan and mix well.
• Cook it on the stove top over low heat until it starts to slow boil.
• Remove from heat immediately and serve hot.

Serving Mini Appams:

Serve the mini appams with coconut milk on the side. You can pour a little coconut milk over each appam while you’re eating and enjoy the deliciousness. 

Kids will absolutely love these mini versions of appams with a drizzle of coconut milk - they’re so tasty! You can also serve them with a spicy thick veg curry or kurma.