Vellayappam

Vellayappam was a luxury breakfast in our house as it involved a time consuming process
to make it in the authentic way. But this recipe has completely changed the situation. Now this item has a place in our weekly breakfast menu. It is such an easy recipe which gives good results.

Ingredients

• Raw rice  -   1 cup
• Coconut   -  1/2 a coconut (grated)
• Cooked rice  - 1/2 cup
• Yeast   -  1/4 tsp
• Sugar  -  2 tbsp
• Coconut water  -  to grind
• Salt  -  to taste

Method

• Wash the rice well and soak for 4 to 5 hours.
• Grind the rice with rest of the ingredients except salt.
• Grind to a smooth paste. The batter should be slightly thin than idly batter. 
• Keep it in a warm place to ferment. 
• Once fermented, add required salt mix gently.
• Heat a appam chatty on medium high flame, pour a laddle of batter swirl it around. Reduce heat to medium and cook covered for a few minutes. Release the sides of the appam first and then lift it. 
• Then again increase the heat and repeat the process for next appam. 

Notes 

• Use good quality rice for best results. If the rice is sticky in nature you won't get the perfect texture. 
• I have used instant yeast, so added directly while grinding. If you are using dry yeast you will have to ferment it separately. Add a teaspoon of sugar to 3 tbsp lukewarm warm and mix. Add yeast, keep aside and use once fermented. You can either grind it or mix to the batter.
• It is best to use coconut water or tender coconut water to grind. If you don't get enough coconut water, add some water.
• I usually grind in 2 batches, so divide everything into half except yeast and then grind. 
• Make sure that the batter doesn't get hot while grinding, so stop and rest in between grinding.
• I soak the rice around 3pm, grind it at 7pm and keep overnight for fermentation. 
• Always keep the batter in warm place, cold weather effects fermentation. You can increase or decrease the yeast quantity according to weather. I decrease the quantity during summer and when ever I get tender coconut water. I personally don't prefer much yeast so have never increased the quantity.