Malabar Unni Appam
Malabar Unni Appam (Unniyappam) is a traditional sweet snack from Kerala, popular in the Malabar region.It is made from:Rice flour or soaked-and-ground riceRipe bananaJaggeryGrated or fried coconutCardamom, sometimes sesame seedsThe batter is cooked in a special moulded pan, producing small, round appams that are crisp and caramelized outside and soft inside. “Unni” means small, while “appam” refers to a rice-based cake or pancake.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup Rice flour or soaked-and-ground rice, preferably roasted
- ¾ cup Jaggery packed grated or chopped
- ¼ cup Water
- 1 medium Ripe banana mashed
- ¼ cup Coconut finely chopped fresh or unsweetened
- ½ teaspoon Ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon Ground ginger optional
- 1 pinch Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Baking soda
- 2–4 tablespoons Water as needed
- 2 tablespoons Ghee
- Coconut oil or neutral cooking oil, for the pan
Instructions
- Combine jaggery and ¼ cup water in a small saucepan. Heat gently until dissolved. Strain to remove impurities, then let it cool slightly.
- Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in a small skillet. Fry the chopped coconut until golden. Set aside.
- In a bowl, combine rice flour, cardamom, ginger, salt, and baking soda. Add the mashed banana, jaggery syrup, fried coconut, and remaining tablespoon of ghee. Mix well.
- Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the batter is thick but spoonable—similar to thick pancake batter.
- Cover and let the batter rest for 30 minutes.
- Heat an appe/paniyaram or aebleskiver pan over medium-low heat. Add about ½ teaspoon oil to each cavity. Fill each cavity about three-quarters full.
- Cook for 2–3 minutes, until the bottoms are deep golden. Turn each appam with a skewer or spoon and cook for another 2 minutes, until browned and cooked through.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. They should be caramelized outside and soft inside.
If jaggery is unavailable, use packed dark brown sugar, though the flavor will be less traditional.
Disclaimer
Some parts or all of recipe maybe AI-generated. Recipe pictures are examples of recipe and represent no affiliation with photographer.
Nutrition
Calories: 416kcal (21%)Carbohydrates: 78g (26%)Protein: 3g (6%)Fat: 10g (15%)Saturated Fat: 6g (38%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 19mg (6%)Sodium: 47mg (2%)Potassium: 158mg (5%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 42g (47%)Vitamin A: 19IUVitamin C: 3mg (4%)Calcium: 21mg (2%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Disclaimer
Nutritional information for this recipe is an approximation and is not to be construed as medical advice.
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