Pesaha Appam
- 55 min
- not spicy
- Serves 4
Pesaha appam, a Kerala unleavened steamed cake of raw rice, urad dal, coconut, shallots and garlic. Mild, serves 4, about 55 minutes plus soaking and resting.
You’ll need: Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
Raw Rice, For Soaking250 grams
Urad Dal (split)100 grams
Water, For Soaking500 ml
Coconut (Grated), Grated100 grams
Small Onion (Shallots), Roughly Chopped30 grams
Garlic, Peeled9 grams
Cumin, Crushed1 tsp
Salt1 tsp
Coconut Oil1 tsp
Banana Leaf, Strips2
Nutrition
Per 1 person, and for all 4 people. Worked out from the ingredients, so treat it as a close guide.
| Nutrient | Per 1 person | All 4 people |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 413kcal | 1652kcal |
| Protein | 12g | 47g |
| Carbohydrate | 70g | 279g |
| Fat | 11g | 42g |
| Fibre | 7.9g | 32g |
| Sugar | 2.2g | 8.8g |
Method
Rinse the raw rice and the urad dal separately. Soak the rice in 500 ml water and the urad dal in enough water to cover, for 4 hours, then drain both fully. Grate the coconut, peel and roughly chop the shallots, and peel the garlic. Crush the cumin, then wash and cut the banana leaf into two thin strips.
Add the soaked rice, grated coconut, shallots, garlic, cumin and 250 ml grinding water to a mixie. Grind for 4 to 5 minutes until the batter is smooth and no rice grains show.
Grind the soaked urad dal with 50 ml water to a thick, smooth paste. Mix it into the rice batter with the salt. The batter should be thick enough to spread on a plate. Cover and rest for 2 hours; do not let it ferment.
Grease a shallow steel plate with coconut oil and spread the batter evenly. Place the two banana leaf strips across the batter to form a cross and press them lightly into place.
Pour 1 litre water into a steamer or pressure cooker and place a stand inside, keeping the water below the plate. Heat on high flame for 8 to 10 minutes until the water boils strongly. Place the plate on the stand, cover, and steam on medium flame for 20 to 25 minutes; if using a pressure cooker, do not fit the weight. The appam is done when the centre is firm and a knife comes out clean.
Remove the plate carefully and cool the appam for 5 minutes. Lift off the banana leaf strips before cutting and serving.
Before you start
- How long does Pesaha Appam take?
- 55 minutes from start to finish. That is 20 minutes of preparation and 35 minutes of cooking.
- How many people does Pesaha Appam serve?
- 4. The ingredient quantities on this page rescale if you are cooking for a different number.
- Is Pesaha Appam vegetarian?
- Yes. No meat, no fish and no egg.
- Is Pesaha Appam spicy?
- No, it is not spicy.
- What do I need to make Pesaha Appam?
- 250 grams Raw Rice, 100 grams Urad Dal (split), 100 grams Coconut (Grated), 30 grams Small Onion (Shallots), 9 grams Garlic, 2 Banana Leaf, and a few more listed on this page.
- Do I need a pressure cooker for Pesaha Appam?
- No, it is cooked in an open pot.
- How many calories are in Pesaha Appam?
- About 413 a serving. The full nutrition table is on this page, per serving and for the whole batch.
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