Appam

In Sri Lankan and South Indian cuisine Appam (IPA: [apːam]), or 'hoppers' are a food,It is called Aappam (ஆப்பம்) in Tamil Nadu. Appa is the singular of appam. Used most frequently for breakfast.


 * Plain hoppers are bowl-shaped thin pancakes made from fermented rice flour. They derive their shape from the small appachatti in which they are cooked. They are fairly bland, and always served with a spicy accompliment. These hoppers are made from a batter using rice, yeast, salt and a little sugar. After the mixture has stood for a couple of hours, it can be fried in the appachatti with a little oil.
 * Egg hoppers are the same as plain hoppers, but an egg is broken into the pancake as it cooks.
 * Milk hoppers are where a spoonful of thick coconut milk/coconut cream is added to the doughy centre. When cooked, the centre is firm to the touch but remains soft inside and has a sweeter taste from the coconut milk. An alternative is *Honey hoppers where these crispy pancakes are cooked with a good helping of palm treacle.


 * The string hopper, or Idiyappa (IPA: [iʈijapːam]), is rice noodles curled into flat spirals. It is served for breakfast with a thin fish or chicken curry, containing only one or two pieces of meat, a dhal (lentil) dish, and a spicy sambol or fresh chutney. String hoppers are made from steamed rice flour made into a dough with water and a little salt, and forced through a mould similar to those used for pasta to make the strings. They are cooked by steaming. These hoppers can be bought ready-made.

Appam also refers to another South Indian sweet dish, which owes its origins to Tamil Nadu. This is made with flour, jaggery, clarified butter — ghee — and bananas. A batter made out of flour, jaggery and banana is poured into a vessel called appakarai, which has ghee heated to a high temperature. The appams take the shape of small cups, and are fried until deep brown. Appams are a festive sweet, made on Gokulashtami - the birthday of Hindu deity, Krishna.