How to Make Authentic Unni Appam?

wellhealthorganic.com Unni Appam: Unniyappam, delightful sweet fritters originating from Kerala cuisine, boast a delightful blend of rice, banana, select spices, and coconut.

Unni Appam

Preparation Time: 3 hours 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 50 minutes

Cuisine: Kerala, South Indian

Course: Sweets

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Ingredients:

For Soaking Rice:

• 1 cup rice or 200 grams (any short-grained rice)
• Water, as required

For Frying Coconut:

• ½ tablespoon oil (for frying coconut)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh coconut
• Other Ingredients for Unniyappam:
• 2 medium-sized bananas or 175 grams (with peel) or ¾ cup chopped bananas
• 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
• ½ cup jaggery powder, or as needed
• ¼ cup water, or as needed
• 3 to 4 green cardamoms
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon dry ginger powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda (you can also use ⅛ teaspoon, about 2 pinches)
• ½ to 1 teaspoon coconut oil or ghee for each mould

Also Read: Dal Bukhara

Instructions:

Soaking Rice:

1. Rinse 1 cup of rice thoroughly in water and soak it in enough water for 3 to 4 hours. Overnight soaking is also an option.
2. After soaking, drain the water and transfer the rice to a grinder jar.
3. Add ¾ cup of chopped bananas, ½ cup jaggery powder, and seeds from 3 to 4 green cardamoms.
4. For extra sweetness, adjust jaggery to ¾ cup.
5. Add ¼ cup water or as required.
6. Grind until the mixture attains a fine rava-like consistency, ensuring the batter is semi-fine. Transfer the batter to a separate bowl.

Frying Coconut:

1. Heat ½ tablespoon of coconut oil or ghee in a small pan.
2. Add 3 tablespoons of chopped coconut pieces and fry until they turn golden, stirring occasionally.
3. Transfer the fried coconut pieces along with the remaining oil to the batter.

Making Unniyappam Batter:

1. To the batter, add 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon dry ginger powder, and ¼ teaspoon baking soda. Add a pinch of salt if desired.
2. Mix the ingredients thoroughly.

Making Unniyappam:

1. Heat the appe chatti pan and add ½ to 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in each mould over low flame.
2. Once the oil is hot, pour batter into the chatti moulds using a spoon, filling them up to ¾ full.
3. Cook on low to medium-low flame until the base turns golden and crisp.
4. Flip each unniyapam using a wooden skewer or stick, ensuring even cooking.
5. Once golden and crisp on all sides, transfer the unniappams to kitchen paper towels to absorb excess oil.
6. Repeat the process with the remaining batter. If there's oil residue in the moulds, additional oil isn't necessary.

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Serving:

• Serve unniyappam warm or at room temperature as a delightful sweet snack.
• Alternatively, keep them in a casserole to maintain warmth for a while.
• This recipe yields approximately 28 unniyappams, which stay fresh at room temperature for 1 to 2 days and can be refrigerated.

Notes:

• This recipe can be scaled up to make a larger batch.
• Adjust the amount of jaggery according to the sweetness of bananas and personal preference.
• Ghee can be used instead of coconut oil for frying the unniyappam.