Appam | Easy Appam Recipe without Yeast - Cooking From Heart (2024)

Learn how to make traditional Tamilnadu style Appam Recipe without yeast/cooking soda. Lacy Appam recipe with step by step pictures.

Ok. I think I should stop myself from saying this but I really cant help it. So, I am going to go ahead and say it ok? This is one of my most favorite recipes. There I said. Again. Yes, again. Though it sounds too clichéd, especially since I call every single recipe my favorite – it is only fair that I make our favorite food and post it here 🙂

So, here comes my recipe for one of the greatest breakfasts of South India (especially Tamilnadu and Kerala) – Appam. For me, as a kid appam has always felt like a cross between idli and dosa. Appam has a soft, pillowy center just like idli and crispy, thin crepe like edges like dosa. As Appam is soft and crisp at the same time (don’t get me, pls try out this recipe and see for yourself :D) I love it.

Now there are different versions to the Appam recipes, depending on how you got the recipe. In parts of Tamilnadu and Kerala, Appam is made purely with rice. And then, the traditional recipe calls for coconut water/milk to ferment the batter. In not so traditional terms, Appam has a very small quantity of urad dal, to give softness and body. In Sri Lanka as I understand, yeast is used. In one of the TV shows, I saw someone add stale bread to the batter in a way, adding yeast indirectly. Out of all these versions, I am posting the one that is with our family as far as I know and the one I can vouch for. I also have made attempts to make a video of Appam making – this is my first! So please check it out and let me know 🙂

Traditionally, Appam is either served with Thengai Paal (sweetened coconut milk) or Vegetable Stew. I served it up with Thengai Paal as it is our first preference. Sweet coconut milk is poured on hot Appams and we would let them soak up the coconut milk. It is just blissful 🙂 Refer to my notes below to make the Thengai Paal. And stay tuned for my stew recipe 🙂

How to make Easy Appam without Yeast - Recipe with Step by Step Pictures

Soak 1 cup raw rice (dosa rice) and 3 tablespoon urad dal in enough water atleast 6 hrs.

Cook 2tbsp sago/javvarisi in enough water until soft, let it cool down completely.

Add the soaked rice and urad dal into the blender.

Adding water as needed, grind it into a smooth paste. Now add the cooked/cooled down sago/javvarisi.

Grind into a smooth batter. Remove onto a container.

Add salt required and mix well with your hand. Set the batter aside in a warm place in the kitchen for 6-8 hrs (or overnight) and let the batter ferment.

Before using, beat down the batter, add extra water if required and mix the batter well. The batter should be of dropping consistency, slightly watery than dosa batter.

Heat the Appam Kadai (I used cast iron pan, non-stick pan can be used too) and sprinkle few drops of water. As the water evaporates, pour a ladle full of Appam batter into the pan. Quickly swirl the pan so that the batter is spread across the pan. The extra batter would settle at the center. Slowly, a lot of holes start appearing on the Appam – sign of a good fermented batter.

Add few drops of oil around the edges and cover the pan with a lid. Let the Appam cook on medium flame for a min.

When the center looks cooked and the sides turn light golden brown, gently remove it. Repeat the same with rest of the batter.

Serve hot with Thengai Paal (recipe in the Notes below). Thengai Paal is usually poured on hot Appams before eating!

Check out the Appam Making Recipe 🙂 This is my first time - just shot with my mobile camera, apologies for the low quality.

Appam Making in Cast Iron Pan

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Dkd7JfDk2FU

Recipe Notes

• To cook the sago, add enough water and boil until the pearls turn transparent. Adding it makes the Appams soft as well as crispy.
• A good fermented appam batter would give a lot of tiny holes when cooking the appam. That is the sign if your appam is going to turn out good. Otherwise, it might be hard to chew.
• To make sweetened thengai pal, take 1 cup of thick coconut milk (the 1^st coconut milk) and 1 cup of thin coconut milk (the 2^nd coconut milk). Add 6-7 teaspoon of sugar and powdered cardamom. Mix well.
• Appams are usually crisp when hot and turn soft as they cool down.
• Appam batter stays well in the fridge for 2-3 days, after which it might start to yield slightly hard appams.

Recipe Card

📖 Recipe

I would be delighted to know if you have tried this recipe, don’t forget to share your feedback and comments below. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me! I am also available on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter 🙂