Rice and Brown-Sugar Griddle Cakes: Neyyappam



This rice-flour griddle cake sweetened with brown sugar is an important offering at many Kerala temples. Traditionally, neyyappam is made in an appakkara, a bronze pan, about eight inches in diameter, with three or five large cavities. The pan is heated, and a spoonful of ghee is poured into each cavity. The batter is poured on top of hot ghee and cooked over medium heat. When the bottom is cooked, the appam is turned over, and the other side is cooked.
Alternatives for the pan are the Swedish aebleskiver pan or the Scandinavian blini pan. In the absence of these special skillets, neyyappams may be cooked on a griddle or a small skillet.

1 cup long-grain rice
1 medium-sized ripe banana, peeled and sliced
1 cup jaggery or brown sugar
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
1 tablespoon thinly sliced coconut pieces (optional)
1 cup ghee
(Temple recipe does not include ripe bananas.)

Soak the rice in water for a couple of hours, then rinse it in several changes of water until the water runs clear, and drain. In a blender, combine the rice, banana, and jaggery (or brown sugar) with just enough water to grind it into a fine, smooth, thick batter. Stir in the cardamom powder and coconut slices. This batter should have the consistency of a thick pancake batter.

Heat a heavy griddle, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Smear the surface with a little ghee, and pour in a quarter-cup of batter. As the batter is thick, it will not spread into a large circle; it will be like a small pancake. Pour a half-teaspoon of ghee on top of each neyyappam. When the bottom is cooked (in a minute or so), turn it over, and cook the other side. When done, neyyappams are golden brown in color. Remove them from the griddle, and drain.

Makes 12 to 15.