Appam & Vivikkam (Sweet Rice Cakes)

This is another traditional breakfast dish from Tirunelveli handed down to my mother from my dad's family. My mother still makes them and sends them over to me. I tried it for the first time and it turned out quite well! 

Makes about 12 to 15 appams (அப்பம்) or vivikka (விவிக்கா)  

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw rice
• 1/2 cup sour yogurt 
• 3 bananas (Poovan variety)
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup sugar (You can add more or less to taste)
• Cashews and raisins, roasted in oil
• Oil for frying

Preparation

• Wash and soak rice in water for an hour. Drain it completely and dry on a clean cloth under a fan for 2 or 3 hours till completely dry.
• Put it in a mixer and grind it to a fine powder. Using a sieve separate the coarse granular flour (semolina texture) about 1/4 cup. Set the fine powder aside.
• Heat about 3/4 cup water in a sauce pan and add the coarse granular flour in it with a pinch of salt. keep stirring till it forms a paste. Remove from heat. Allow to cool.
• Once it is cool, add the yogurt into it and mix well. 
• Now add the fine powder little by little and mix well to make a ball of dough.
• Allow it to ferment at least for 18 to 20 hours. 
• Mash bananas and sugar and add it to the fermented batter. Add the roasted cashews and raisins and mix well.

Appam

Appams

• Heat a non stick pan. Add a tsp. of oil. Take a little batter and drop it into the heated oil. Spread it and allow to cook. (It must cook well otherwise it can tear when flipping it over). Now flip it over and allow to cook on the other side. 
• Remove from heat and serve hot.

Vivikkam

Vivikka

• Grease idli plates, pour batter into them, steam for 5 to 7 minutes or till done.
• Serve hot.