Appam

Name: Appam
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 250 g long-grain white rice, raw rice, soaked 5 hours; 100 g coconut, freshly grated; 20 g long-grain white rice, cooked with a little water until very soft; ½ tsp dried yeast; 1 tbsp sugar; 300 ml water; ¾ tsp salt; 1 tsp coconut oil

Vegetarian

അപ്പം · appaṁ

Bowl-shaped pancakes of fermented rice and coconut batter with lacy, crisp edges and a soft, spongy centre. A Kerala breakfast with stew or egg roast.

Appam is a South Indian bread, ready in about 45 minutes and made with long-grain white rice and coconut. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking

Close-up view of freshly made appams arranged on a terracotta plate. Perfect for food inspiration. — Photo: Jahra Tasfia Reza / Pexels · Pexels License

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 45 min
Serves: 4
Level: Intermediate
Calories: 358

Plus 5 hours soaking and 8–10 hours fermenting.

Ingredients

4 servings (about 12 appams)

250 g Long-grain white rice (opens in a new tab), raw rice, soaked 5 hours
100 g Coconut (opens in a new tab), freshly grated
½ tsp (1.5 g) Dried yeast (opens in a new tab)Instant yeast; toddy is traditional.
1 tbsp (13 g) Sugar (opens in a new tab)
300 ml Water (opens in a new tab)Approximate.
¾ tsp (4.5 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)
1 tsp (4.5 g) Coconut oil (opens in a new tab)For greasing the pan.Swap: Neutral vegetable oil

To help the batter rise

20 g Long-grain white rice (opens in a new tab), cooked with a little water until very softOr a handful of leftover cooked rice.

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Drain the soaked rice and blend with the coconut (opens in a new tab), the soft cooked rice and enough water to make a very smooth batter like pouring cream.
- 10 min
- Blender (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Stir in the yeast and sugar (opens in a new tab), cover and leave in a warm place for 8–10 hours until doubled and bubbly. Stir in the salt.
- 3 min
3
Step 3
Heat an appachatti (or small deep non-stick pan) and grease it lightly. Pour in a ladle of batter and immediately swirl the pan so a thin layer coats the sides, leaving it thicker in the middle.
- 2 min
- medium heat
- Frying pan / skillet (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Mateusz Feliksik on Pexels
4
Step 4
Cover and cook for about 2 minutes until the edges are crisp and golden and the centre is set and spongy. Lift out without flipping. Repeat.
- 22 min
- medium heat

About this dish

Origin: Kerala, India · Commonly attributedClosely related to Sri Lankan hoppers (appa).Also popular in Sri LankaMore food from India
Dish: Breakfast · Dinner · Breads & flatbreads
Cooking method: Fermented, Steamed, Pan-fried
Taste: mild, sweet, sour
Diet: Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Make-ahead
Cook more with: Long-grain white rice · Coconut · Dried yeast · Sugar · Coconut oil
Techniques: Pan-frying · Steaming · Fermentation

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

358 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 173 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

Protein 6%
Carbohydrate 68%
Fat 25%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	358 kcal	207 kcal
Protein	5.8 g	3.3 g
Carbohydrate	61.1 g	35.2 g
Net carbohydrate	57.8 g	33.4 g
Sugars	4.8 g	2.8 g
Added sugars	3.1 g	1.8 g
Fibre	3.2 g	1.9 g
Fat	10 g	5.8 g
Saturated fat	8.5 g	4.9 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	447 mg	258 mg
Salt equivalent	1.1 g	0.6 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 170 mg
Calcium: 30 mg
Iron: 3.5 mg
Magnesium: 27 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 0 µg
Vitamin C: 1 mg
Vitamin D: 0 µg
Vitamin B12: 0 µg
Folate (DFE): 276 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

The batter should be like pouring cream; thin it with a little water if the appam won't swirl up the sides.

Common mistakes

Pouring batter into a pan that isn't hot enough — the lacy edges won't form.

Serve with

Serve with Kerala egg roast, vegetable stew (ishtu) or sweetened coconut milk.

Food safety

Ferment the batter covered in a clean bowl at warm room temperature (about 25–32 °C); refrigerate once it has risen.
Discard batter that smells rotten (not just sour) or shows pink, orange or fuzzy mould.

Storage

Best fresh; batter keeps 2 days refrigerated.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 26 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Compare with

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Long-grain white rice, raw rice, soaked 5 hours250 g
Coconut, freshly grated100 g

Used in step 1

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

Mix and knead · about 20 min
Weigh everything. Knead until smooth and elastic: a small piece stretches thin enough to see light through (the windowpane test).
First rise (bulk) · about 9 h
Bubbly on top, risen and smelling pleasantly sour.
Rest · about 5 h
Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.
Bake · about 22 min
Deep golden; bread sounds hollow when tapped underneath, or reads 93–96 °C inside (enriched breads 88–90 °C).
Start to finish: about 14 h 42 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

If something goes wrong

Pale crust
Likely causes
- Oven too cool
- Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
- Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)
What to do
- Check the oven with a thermometer
- Brush with egg wash or milk
- Shorten the fermentation
Burnt bottom
Likely causes
- Tray too close to the heat
- Dark tray absorbs more heat
- Too much sugar in the dough
What to do
- Bake on the middle shelf
- Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
- Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
Tough or chewy flatbread
Likely causes
- Dough too stiff
- Not rested
- Cooked too slowly on too cool a pan
What to do
- Add water until the dough is soft and slightly tacky
- Rest 20–30 minutes covered so the gluten relaxes
- Cook on a very hot tawa or pan — quickly

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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