Neyyappam

Fried in ghee, which is exactly what its name says.

Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains dairy (ghee), dairy (whole milk).

Ingredients

• 300 g rice flour
• 250 g jaggery, grated
• 150 ml water
• 100 ml whole milk
• 60 g fresh coconut, in small pieces
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground dried ginger
• 4 tablespoons ghee, for the coconut
• ghee for deep frying

Method

1. IT IS FRIED IN GHEE, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT ITS NAME SAYS. Its article takes the word apart: neyyappam is derived from NEYY MEANING 'GHEE' (CLARIFIED BUTTER) AND APPAM MEANING 'PANCAKE', and the dish is A SWEET RICE-BASED FRITTER FRIED IN GHEE. Not oil, and not in a mould -- these go loose into deep ghee and come out round.
2. WHICH IS HOW IT DIFFERS FROM UNNI APPAM, as on its own page. Its article calls unni appam a variant of this one, and the variant has banana in the batter and is cooked in the hollows of a special pan. Same family, different fat and different vessel.
3. THE COCONUT IS FRIED IN GHEE BEFORE IT GOES IN. The article's ingredient list is specific: rice flour, jaggery, GHEE-FRIED COCONUT (PIECES OR GRATED), ghee, cardamom and milk. Small pieces browned in four tablespoons of ghee, which is a step people skip and should not.
4. MELT AND STRAIN THE JAGGERY. Grit in jaggery sinks to the bottom of the pan and burns.
5. THE BATTER IS THICKER THAN A PANCAKE BATTER. Rice flour into the warm jaggery syrup with the milk, beaten smooth. It should drop from a spoon in a lump rather than a ribbon.
6. REST IT AN HOUR AND IT WILL THICKEN FURTHER. Loosen it with a spoonful of milk if it has gone too stiff to drop.
7. THE GHEE MUST BE PROPERLY HOT AND NOT SMOKING. A drop of batter should rise within two seconds. Too cool and the fritters drink ghee and flatten.
8. DROP SPOONFULS IN AND TURN THEM ONCE. Three or four minutes until deep brown. They puff a little and firm as they cool. Its article serves them as an evening snack and notes they are offered in Kerala temples, at Navaratri and Kartika Deepotsava.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under India · All recipes