Background

• Appam (called Hoppers in English) is a type of fermented rice pancake that is popular in South India (esp. Kerala) and Sri Lanka
• They are traditionally made in a hopper pan for the bowl shape but can also be made in an ordinary nonstick pan with curved sides and a lid
• Appams go well with anything but particularly with south indian style pickles, chutneys, and coconut curry

Ingredients

• Note: Makes ~10 appam. Can easily be doubled for a bigger party.

• ¾ tsp Active Dry Yeast

• 1 cup water

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp sugar

• 2 cups rice flour

• 1 can coconut milk

• ¼ tsp baking soda

Instructions

1. Heat water to 115° in microwave or stovetop.
2. Mix in active dry yeast and let it sit 8-10 minutes until foamy
3. Mix rice flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl, add yeast mixture, and stir into a (somewhat dry) batter
4. Cover with a kitchen towel and let the batter rest for 2 hours on the counter
5. Add coconut milk and baking soda to the bowl and whisk in until smooth
6. Refrigerate for at least one hour until ready to eat
7. Heat pan over medium-high heat and grease lightly or spray with cooking oil
8. Add ⅓ cup batter and swirl it around the pan immediately to cover the entire surface
9. Cook 1 minute until the batter begins to set and cook another 2 minutes covered
10. Remove from the pan and repeat with remaining batter
11. Serve fresh with chutney, podi, coconut curry, etc.