UNNIAPPAM

Unniappam is a small round snack made from rice, jaggery, banana, roasted coconut pieces, roasted sesame seeds, ghee and cardamom powder fried in oil. Variation of this organic and spongy fried batter using jackfruit preserves instead of banana is common from the late 2000s. It is a popular snack in Kerala. In Malayalam, unni means small and appam means rice cake.

INGREDIENTS:

Raw rice - 2 cup

Jaggery - 1 & 1/4 cup

Water - 3/4 cup

Banana - 2

Wheat flour - 1 tsp (optional)

Ghee 2 tsp

Coconut bits - 1/8 cup

Sesame seeds - 2 tsp

Cardamom - 5

METHOD:

1. Soak raw rice for 2 hours. Melt jaggery with water and make a thick syrup.

2. Drain water and grind the rice along with banana, wheat flour and rava to a smooth paste/ batter using the jaggery solution.

3. Keep this batter for fermentation about 8 hours.

4. Fry the coconut bits in ghee until it becomes light brown in color.

5. Now add the fried coconut bits, sesame seeds, and cardamom powder to the batter and mix well.

6. Place the appa kaara (cast iron mold pan) /Unniyappam pan on the stove and pour coconut oil into each round(only fill half). Along with it place a cheenachatti/pan on another stove and pour coconut oil. 

appa kaara

7. When oil gets hot, simmer the flame and pour half ladlefuls of batter into each round of the appa kaara. Flip when one side is cooked.

8. Transfer to the other pan(cheenachatti) and fry well.

9. Drain from oil when golden brown.