Unniyappam, literally small appam, is a sweet fritter made in Kerala homes and temples for Vishu, Karthika Deepam and Krishna Jayanthi. It is also a common offering at temples like Kottarakkara, where it is the main prasadam. The batter is made from rice, jaggery and ripe banana and fried in a special pan with round cavities.
A good unniyappam has a thin, crisp, dark brown shell and a soft, spongy, almost custardy centre. Flavours of jaggery, banana and cardamom come through, and fried coconut bits add little bursts of crunch. They keep for two or three days, which made them a traditional travelling snack. In many homes the first batch is offered at the pooja room before anyone eats.
At a glance
| Region | Kerala |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Kerala |
| Diet | Vegetarian |
| Course | Snack |
| Prep time | 20 minutes |
| Cook time | 30 minutes |
| Total time | 50 minutes |
| Serves | 6 |
| Spice level | Mild |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Gluten-free | Yes |
| Key ingredients | rice / jaggery / banana / coconut / ghee |
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw rice, soaked 4 hours
- 3/4 cup grated jaggery
- 1/3 cup water for melting jaggery
- 2 small ripe bananas (palayamkodan or poovan), or 1 robusta
- 2 tbsp wheat flour or rava (optional, for softness)
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 3 tbsp thin coconut bits (thenga kothu)
- 1 tsp black sesame seeds
- ghee and coconut oil for frying, about 1 cup
Method
- Melt the jaggery with 1/3 cup water on low heat until dissolved. Strain to remove impurities and cool.
- Drain the rice and grind with the bananas and jaggery syrup to a thick, slightly coarse batter, like idli batter. Add water only if absolutely necessary.
- Transfer to a bowl, stir in the wheat flour, cardamom and salt, and rest for 2-4 hours. The batter will become slightly airy.
- Fry the coconut bits in 1 tsp ghee until golden and add them to the batter with the sesame seeds. Stir in the baking soda just before frying.
- Heat the appam pan on medium heat and fill each cavity half full with ghee or a mix of ghee and coconut oil.
- When the fat is hot, pour batter into each cavity until three-quarters full. Fry on medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes until the base is deep brown.
- Turn each unniyappam with a skewer and fry the other side for 2 minutes until evenly brown.
- Lift out, drain on a rack, and repeat. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips
- The batter should be thick; a thin batter absorbs too much fat.
- Overripe bananas give the softest and sweetest unniyappam.
- Keep the heat moderate so the centres cook through before the shells darken too much.
Serve with
Black tea or coffee in the evening; also offered as temple prasadam.