Coconut Stew and Appam

A comforting combination of delicate coconut stew with soft appams. This traditional dish is perfect for a fulfilling meal, offering a balance of subtle flavors and textures.

Prep
45 min
Total
45 min
Serves
2
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Coconut Stew and Appam
Total
45 min
Serves
2
Course
Main Course

Ingredients

  • Spices:
  • 8 fenugreek seeds
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick (2 inches)
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
  • 1 green chili, finely chopped
  • 25 fresh curry leaves
  • Vegetables:
  • ¼ cup chopped drumsticks (cut into 2” pieces)
  • 1 cup chopped potato
  • ½ cup fresh green peas
  • ¾ cup water
  • 1 cup chopped cauliflower
  • ½ cup chopped pumpkin
  • ½ cup chopped carrot
  • ¼ cup chopped green beans
  • Other Ingredients:
  • 1½ cups thick coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon jaggery powder
  • 1 teaspoon rock salt
  • Appam:
  • ¾ cup brown rice, soaked
  • ¼ cup chopped spinach
  • 1 cup water
  • 8 green chili tops

Method

  1. Before you start, prepare thick coconut milk by blending 1½ cups coconut with 1½ cups water and then sieving it.
  2. Soak ¾ cup brown rice in water for 6 hours.
  3. Blend the soaked brown rice, spinach, and water into a smooth paste. Pour it into a bowl and add chili tops on top. Cover and keep in a warm place to ferment for 15 hours or overnight.
  4. In a pot, add fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, bay leaf, star anise, cinnamon, and cloves. Dry roast for 3 minutes on low flame.
  5. Add the ginger, green chili, and curry leaves. Dry roast for 1 more minute.
  6. Add the drumsticks, potato, green peas, and water to the pot, mix well, and cook for 3 minutes on medium flame.
  7. Add all the remaining vegetables to the pot and mix. Cover the pot and cook for 15 to 18 minutes on medium flame, until the vegetables are cooked.
  8. Switch off the stove. Add thick coconut milk, jaggery, and salt. Mix well, close the lid for 5 minutes, and serve warm with appam or brown rice.
  9. For the appam, if the batter has become too thick, add ¼ cup water to the fermented batter and mix. Consistency should neither be thick nor too runny.
  10. Heat an iron tawa. Once it’s hot and the flame is high, add 2 drops of oil (if pan is not greased), and sprinkle some water on the tawa. Wipe with a cloth.
  11. When the bubbles appear, turn the flame to medium and cover the appam with a plate or lid.
  12. Allow it to cook on medium to low flame with the steam inside the plate for 2 minutes.
  13. When the batter is no longer raw in the center, take it out and serve hot with coconut stew.

Notes

Tip: After every appam, splash some water on the tawa and wipe it with a clean cloth to clear the residue.

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