Kerala Appam & Potato Stew

If you are looking for something really healthy to eat without compromising on taste. Try out this famous healthy dish from Kerala that is Appam which is served with stew. I will be sharing a potato stew recipe but one can use carrot or even fish curry goes well with the appam.  

This dish is super healthy for both parents and the child. It has very less oil and is a perfect healthy meal. 

Appam is made with rice and coconut and stew is made using coconut milk. 

Ingredients : 

To make Appam batter

• 2 cups  raw rice ( I preferred to use idli rice) 

• 1 cup cooked rice ( I used sona masoori) 

• 2 big spoon grated coconut 

• Salt as per taste

To make Stew 

• Coconut milk or 1 coconut to make the milk ( I made coconut milk at home)

• 3 small to medium size  boiled potato 

• 2 Green chillies 

• Handful of curry leaves

• Jeera or rai (I used jeera)

• Pepper powder or freshly crushed black pepper 

• Salt

How to make appam 

Step 1 

I washed and soaked 2 cups idli rice for 5 hours 

Step 2 

I cooked 1 cup sona masoori rice 

Step 3

Once the rice is soaked for about 5 hours, I grinded soaked rice, cooked rice and grated coconut together in the mixer grinder. 

Note: Once you grind the batter, don’t add salt at this point. Leave the batter to ferment and just before making add salt as per the taste. 

Step 4 

I left the batter to ferment overnight 

Step 5

I have a dedicated iron appam kadhai or pan. I heated the kadhai and greased it with oil. I left this overnight. In case you do not have appam kadhai, you can use any iron or steel kadhai. To make appam in other kadhai, follow the same process, heat the kadhai and then grease with oil and leave it overnight. 

Step 7 

Now heat the kadhai and put little (around one scoop) batter in the kadhai. You will have to roll the kadhai to make it as a bowl shaped appam.  

Step 8 

If you want you can put ½ tsp of oil around the appam. 

Step 9

It takes around 8 to 10 minutes initially to make the perfect appam

Step 10 

After 8 minutes open the lid and check if the appam is ready. FIY: Appam will be thick from the center. Once cooked, take out on a plate. 

How to make potato stew 

To make coconut milk from the grated coconut 

Step 1 

Take one grated coconut and  grind it in a mixer. Add enough water to make it as a milk. Sieve the milk before using. 

I actually used 2 glasses of water to make more milk. 

Step 2 

Roughly chop the boiled potato, slit the green chillies and some curry leaves. 

Step 3

In a saucepan, put ½ tbl of oil. Once the oil is hot, add jeera or rai and let it crackle. 

Step 4

Add curry leaves and green chillies and saute for ½ a minute. 

Step 5 

Add potatoes, crushed pepper and salt and mix well 

Step 6 

After about 1 to 2 minutes add coconut milk and let it come to simmer. Simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes. And off the gas. 

Well now this super healthy Kerala Appam with Stew is ready. Serve hot.