Kudhiraivali(barnyard millet) Appam

Kudhiraivali(barnyard millet) Appam

Appam is a traditional South Indian recipe made usually with white rice. I have substituted half of the white rice with barnyard millet. It tasted good too as the usual appam. Appam is a fermented food which is good for our gut health. This can be accompanied with vegetable/meat stew or tomato chutney and sweetened coconut milk. 

    Cuisine: South Indian

    Coarse: Main dish

    Cooking Time: 20 mins

    Prep Time: 15 mins

    Serves: 3

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup barnyard millet(kudhiraivali)
• 1/2 cup raw rice
• handful of cooked rice
• 1/4 cup grated/sliced coconut
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking/cooking soda
• Water as needed
• ghee/butter

DirectionsStep 1:

Take 1/2 cup kudhiraivali and 1/2 cup raw rice in a vessel. Wash thrice and soak for 3 hours.

Step 2:

To grind, take a handful of cooked rice. Add to the mixie. Add grated/sliced coconut and the soaked millet rice. Grind coarse by adding water. 

Step 3:

Allow the batter to ferment. Fermentation duration depends on the weather condition. For me it took 14-15 hours. The more it ferments, appam would be soft.

Step 4:

To the fermented batter, add sugar, salt and baking/cooking soda. Add water if needed. Mix well. Air bubbles formed.

Step 5:

Heat an appam pan. Pour a ladleful of batter onto the pan. Swirl in a spiraling pattern. You can see the air bubbles on the appam. These air bubbles make the appam soft.

Step 6:

Close with a lid. Remove from the pan. Serve with ghee/butter if desired.

Delicious Appam is ready to serve!!

Notes:

1. You can use any type of millets. 

2. Appam requires a good fermentation. Unlike idli/dosa batter, appam batter does not puff u during fermentation. A good way of knowing if it has got fermented or not is to smell it. It should have sour smell.