Mary, who writes the delicious blog, Mary Mary Culinary was our August Daring Cooks’ host. Mary chose to show us how delicious South Indian cuisine is! She challenged us to make Appam and another South Indian/Sri Lankan dish to go with the warm flat bread.
I have to say that I was worried that I won’t be able to make it this month. My schedule has been so busy and hectic these past couple of weeks but I am really glad I managed to make this month’s challenge.
I was kind of worried that my family won’t like the curry, with all the spices and flavors in it I was worried it was going to be too much especially for the kids. It turns out my family had a broader mind than I had expected. They loved the curry! and demanded that I should make this dish more often. Thank you Mary!
I have tried the appams before, I served them with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon and cardamom. This was my first time serving them as a form of bread. The kids liked the sweet version better.
Appam
Servings: Makes about 15. I find 3-4 are enough for a serving
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups (360 ml/300 gm/10½ oz) raw rice( I used one cup rice flour instead )
1 ½ teaspoons (7½ ml/5 gm) active dry yeast
2 teaspoons (10 ml/9 gm) sugar
½ cup (120 ml) of coconut water or water, room temperature
1 ½ tablespoons (22½ ml/18 gm) cooked rice
½ teaspoon (2½ ml/3 gm) salt
about ½ cup (120 ml) thick coconut milk (from the top of an unshaken can)
Directions:
1. Soak the raw rice in 4 to 5 cups of water for 3 hours.
2. Dissolve the sugar in the coconut water or plain water and add the yeast. Set aside in a warm area for 10-15 minutes, until very frothy.
3. Drain the rice and grind it in a blender with the yeast mixture to make a smooth batter. You can add a bit of extra water if needed.(I skipped the soaking and grinding steps because I used rice flour) Add the cooked rice, and grind/blend to combine well.
4. Pour into a large bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for 8-12 hours. You not only want the mixture to rise and collapse, but to ferment. When it is ready, it will have a slightly sour and distinctly yeasty smell. Don’t worry–they are mild tasting when cooked!
5.Add the coconut milk and salt, and a bit of water if necessary, so that you have a batter that is just a bit thicker than milk. It bubbles after you add the coconut milk.
6. Heat your pan over medium heat. Wipe a few drops of oil over it using a paper towel. Stir the batter and pour in 3-4 tablespoons, depending on the size of the pan. Working quickly, hold the handle(s) and give the pan a quick swirl so that the batter comes to the top edge. Swirl once only, as you want the edges to be thin and lacy.
7. Cover the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Uncover and check. The center should have puffed up a bit, and will be shiny, but dry to the touch. When ready, loosen the edges with a small spatula and serve immediately. These need to be served hot out of the pan.
Chai Pani’s Malabar Chicken Curry (recipe vis A spicy perspective)
I changed the recipe a little to fit my family’s taste, I will write the recipe I made and you can check the original one by following the link in the title.
1 lbs. chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces (I used some left over grilled red garlic chicken “recipe coming very soon” )
1/4 cup vegetable oil .
3/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 large onion chopped
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
2 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (leaves and/or stems)
2 chopped tomatoes
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup water
Pour oil in a large sauce pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the onions to soften until they are dark and soft enough the smash with a spatula.
Raise the heat back to medium and add the tomatoes, salt, and lime juice.(at this stage my husband walked in and said..now you’re COOKING the salad!!)
Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have disintegrated and the oil separates out—15-20 minutes.
Add ½ cup of water and 1 cup coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat.
In a separate skillet, heat 1 Tb. of oil over high. Add the chicken to the skillet and brown on all sides, leaving the centers pink—2-4 minutes.
Add the chicken to the curry and simmer 5-7 minutes until the chicken has cooked through.
This is a GREAT make-ahead! Letting the curry sit overnight enhances the flavors!
You can serve this with basmati rice instead of the appam
Thank you Mary for the amazing challenge and for being a wonderful hostess.You can check out the rest of the recipes Mary suggested and the creations of my fellow daring cooks here
renu
/ July 15, 2012sawsan… i realised today that i had not seen many of ur recipes… u made appams!11 that from my part of teh world!!!! Kerala..,India.. i am sooooo happy u made it.. and sawsan believe me the pics tells me that ur appams were perfect.. i am still not confident abt my appams.. and i buy tehredaymade mix..!!! wow sawsan.. i admire u … i have been thinking of trying to amke the mix at home.. but never did.. also very hapy that ur kids loved it.. when were kids we used to have it with milk and sugar… also having it with cocnut milk is also an option!!!
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ July 15, 2012Thank you Renu for taking the time to leave me a comment on this post
I loved this challenge because I got to learn so much about Kerala recipes. There were some amazing recipes full of layers of flavors and I personally still want to learn more about them and try more and more.
I am honored that you think my appams were perfect.
vibrating bra
/ August 28, 2011I’m the seond time to come thefooddoctor.wordpress.com and just saying hello. I really like this great site.
thefooddoctor.wordpress.com alwasy has amazing idea. Great website.
thefooddoctor
/ August 29, 2011Thank you kindly for your sweet comment and hello
hope you’ll stop by chef in disguise and leave a hi more often
Reese@SeasonwithSpice
/ August 25, 2011Hi Sawsan – we want to say a big thank you for sharing this luscious curry on Season with Spice in support of the Curry event. It’s a great recipe & we hope many readers will get to try it out. We love all the spices that go into it. Look forward to seeing more of your recipes!
thefooddoctor
/ August 25, 2011Hello Reese
The pleasure was truly all mine to participate in your event to support curry. I look forward to sharing more recipes with you
Thank you for stopping by and for taking the time to leave me a comment
Nami | Just One Cookbook
/ August 18, 2011Sawsan, I’m sorry for my late visit on this post. I’ve seen it on facebook, but it’s so worth it to come visit on your blog… photos are STUNNING!!! I can have this 3 times a day…seriously. Looks so delish! I bookmarked this and hope to cook it soon.
thefooddoctor
/ August 18, 2011Thank you so so much Nami…coming from you that is a huge compliment
bakingdevils
/ August 16, 2011Stunning photograpy…I have never seen such gorgeous looking appams with a curry…..It’s breakfast time here and I could happily have some appams with a curry (veg though for me:-). Beautiful post…I am glad I stopped by..
-Shilpa
thefooddoctor
/ August 16, 2011Thank you so much Shilpa..it is always a pleasure to see you here
Priya Sreeram
/ August 16, 2011appam & curry looks well done !
thefooddoctor
/ August 16, 2011Thank you so much
Kocinera
/ August 16, 2011Those appams look so beautiful and so delicate! I bet they were delicious with that curry. Great job on this challenge!
Jenni
/ August 15, 2011Your appam and curry look fantastic! Great job!
Tanvi
/ August 15, 2011Incredibe good looking appams !!! Make some for me
WIth that chicken curry, I cant wait to dig!
thefooddoctor
/ August 15, 2011coming from you that is a huge compliment..thank you so much Tanvi
lisamichele
/ August 15, 2011Errr..make that ‘Sommer’s curry recipe’ LOL
thefooddoctor
/ August 15, 2011lisamichele
/ August 15, 2011Wow..first the photos just popped, and then I blinked and focused on your delicious sounding curry (will have to try Summer’s recipe) and beautiful Appams! Fantastic job on the challenge – glad you were able to fit it in!
thefooddoctor
/ August 15, 2011Thank you so much Lisa…I am etching to get started on your challenge..I really hope I can make it…it is such an amazing challenge I would hate to miss it
Sommer Collier
/ August 15, 2011Wow, I’m honored!
Looks fantastic.
thefooddoctor
/ August 15, 2011Thank you so much Sommer for sharing this amazing recipe and for stopping by to comment
kitchenbelleicious
/ August 15, 2011Done this just once in my life and did not look anything like yours. It was not a good experience so I am just going to have you come to my house and make it next time:) Love what you did and amazing job
thefooddoctor
/ August 15, 2011Done
when you crave appams give me a call
Hannah@ Bake Five
/ August 15, 2011Curry curry curry I love curry! (((:
thefooddoctor
/ August 15, 2011hehehe nice one
Vania Georgieva
/ August 15, 2011Your appam & curry challenge looks absolutely great!
thefooddoctor
/ August 15, 2011Thank you kindly Vania
eva626
/ August 15, 2011it smeels i mean looks so good!!! i wish i had your kinda menu here at home lol
thefooddoctor
/ August 15, 2011it did smell great
Aimee@clevermuffin
/ August 15, 2011What fabulous photos, Appam is one of those things i’ve been working up to making. It’s getting closer to the top of the list now!
thefooddoctor
/ August 15, 2011That is a great achievement..my list keeps getting bigger lol
Manu
/ August 15, 2011Wow! I had already seen this in the Daring Cooks forum… and I LOVED your pictures! And now that I read the curry recipe I think I’d love the taste too!
Your appam look so PERFECT! Well done Sawsan!!
thefooddoctor
/ August 15, 2011Thank you so much Manu..your idea of serving it in a coconut shell was pure genious..I can’t wait to try your curry
chef_d
/ August 15, 2011Your appams look great! And the curry looks so delicious! Great looking pictures too, excellent job on this month’s challenge!
thefooddoctor
/ August 15, 2011Thank you so much..you are too kind
charishma hegde
/ August 15, 2011this looks good
last week I put up the recipe for appam and egg curry
http://cheriesstolenrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/08/egg-curry-with-appam.html
but the sad part is i was given the daring baker approval but still waiting for daring cook
i cant believe i am missing this challenge
but really kudos to you, the appam and curry looks amazing
charishma
thefooddoctor
/ August 16, 2011Hello charishma and welcome to the daring kitchen..you are going to have a blast
thank you so much for your kind words
Ginger
/ August 15, 2011I don’t think I’ve told you lately just how fantastic I think you are! I think the world of you, your talent to cook, photograph, write and ability welcome people into your heart is out of this world. I mean that, truly! Good luck with the contest, you most certainly deserve to win
thefooddoctor
/ August 16, 2011Sweet and wonderful Ginger..
I truly can’t tell you how much your words meant to me..they touched my heart and I can’t thank you enough for them
all I want you to know is I think the world of you too and of your courage and ability to go on..you are my role model and hero
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
/ August 15, 2011Great challenge! These look wonderful! Never heard of them before, but with honey sounds yummy!
thefooddoctor
/ August 16, 2011Thank yo Erin
you are too kind
Christy Ellingsworth (@DailyDishTweets)
/ August 15, 2011This looks absolutely amazing! I love curry and look forward to trying this sometime soon. Thanks so much for sharing!
thefooddoctor
/ August 16, 2011Thank you kindly for stopping by and for your comment
Suz
/ August 14, 2011Both your curry and appam look delicious! The curry is such a beautiful colour & your appam so lacy and perfect. I agree with Renata, beautiful plating as well.
I’m loving the sound of sweet appam. I’m definitely going to give them another go, so I can try that out.
thefooddoctor
/ August 16, 2011Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide
/ August 14, 2011Those photos are just beautiful. So is the recipe.
thefooddoctor
/ August 16, 2011Thank you so much Greg
Kristy
/ August 14, 2011What a great challenge. You know, since we started our whole cooking around the world thing, curry is one of the flavors that surprised me the most. I knew the kids enjoyed it – but I didn’t think I would. It’s one of those things I just never had the urge to try. Then once I did – yum! Not what I expected at all. I’m going to remember this one for when we pick India. It looks so creamy and good.
thefooddoctor
/ August 14, 2011I know what you mean..I didn’t expect to like it either..for some reason my idea of indian food is greasy, spicy and burn the top of your mouth hot food! totally wrong on all counts
Shumaila
/ August 14, 2011I love appam and curry. I had so much of it during my recent visit to India as my dad is posted to Kerala, a south Indian state. You brought back some good memories!
thefooddoctor
/ August 14, 2011I am really glad I brought back good memories Shumaila
Holly
/ August 14, 2011Yum!! They look amazing. I think I’m opting out the DB / DC challenges- I never seem to make them in time / despite always wanting to it never fits somehow – I will just read yours instead, mmm gorgeous!
thefooddoctor
/ August 14, 2011The Culinary Lens
/ August 14, 2011I have been hopping all around different blogs this morning an my list of things I want to try just keeps getting longer.You have just given me not one but two things LOL
thefooddoctor
/ August 14, 2011I know all about those lists..you should see how long mine is!
Hannah (BitterSweet)
/ August 14, 2011Wow, this looks incredible! I’ve been too intimidated to try making appam before, but yours look perfect… So thin and soft. Very inspiring!
thefooddoctor
/ August 14, 2011Thank you so much Hannah..that means a lot coming from you
chicaandaluza
/ August 14, 2011Where to start? Stunning photos, amazing recipes. had never heard of appam before but wow! Am also having serious curry cravings, so this has just reignited the fire! Gorgeous post.
thefooddoctor
/ August 14, 2011Thank you ..thank you …thank you..
Mary
/ August 14, 2011Your photos are gorgeous and I’m glad your family liked it! I can’t blame the kids for liking sweet appams better–I usually go for sweet over savoury too. Thanks for participating this month!
thefooddoctor
/ August 14, 2011Thank you so much Mary for this amazing challenge and for stopping by my blog and commenting
I can’t wait to try the other versions you suggested..all super tempting
thecompletecookbook
/ August 14, 2011Both such fabulous recipes – thanks for making time for the challenge to share with us all.
Mandy
Have a happy day.
thefooddoctor
/ August 14, 2011Thank you so much Mandy
Maris (in Good Taste)
/ August 14, 2011Looks very tempting. Delicious photos!
thefooddoctor
/ August 14, 2011Thank you Maris
JamieAnne
/ August 14, 2011This looks really interesting. I rarely use my curry spices, I might give this a try.
thefooddoctor
/ August 14, 2011Jamie it is really good…not too spicy yet full of flavor
andy
/ August 14, 2011I love your photos!! what a great job!
thefooddoctor
/ August 14, 2011Thank you kindly Andy
eftychia
/ August 14, 2011The soup looks so yummy! Thanks for sharing.
thefooddoctor
/ August 14, 2011Thank you for stopping by and commenting
Renata
/ August 14, 2011I had come here earlier but your post wasn’t up yet, I was anxious to tell you that your plating was the most beautiful of all, as always you’ve done an amazing job on the challenge, I’m not surprised your family enjoyed it so much
thefooddoctor
/ August 14, 2011Thank you so much Renata,
You always have something sweet and encouraging to say and I appreciate your comments more than words can say